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Philippines advances troop access talks with Britain for South China Sea
The proposed visiting forces agreement would let British and Philippine troops temporarily train and operate on each other’s soil, expanding Manila’s options beyond the US security umbrella.
A proposed troop access deal between the Philippines and Britain is moving forward, with Philippine and British defense officials holding their first round of formal negotiations in Manila last week, according to SCMP Economy.
The agreement would be structured as a visiting forces arrangement, allowing British and Philippine troops to train and carry out temporary operations in each other’s territory, including joint exercises, training activities, humanitarian work, and disaster response missions.
Philippine defense undersecretary for acquisition and resource management Salvador Melchon Mison Jr said the UK’s support is aimed at upholding a rules-based international order and preserving freedoms tied to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
SCMP Economy also reported that analysts view the pact as a way to deepen the Philippines’ ties with NATO members while reducing its reliance on the US security umbrella, after talks began last year when Britain proposed the agreement in a letter from then defense secretary John Healey to Philippine defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro.