Philippines, India shore up ties amid China tensions, US tariff risks

Traditional allies form strategic partnership even as they target self-reliance in defence

- Mara Cepeda

MANILA - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s state visit to India this week marks a deepening of Philippine efforts to diversify its strategic partnerships beyond traditional allies, as Manila grapples with escalating tensions in the South China Sea and economic headwinds from Washington's protectionist turn.

"Today, our relationship enters a new epoch," Mr Marcos said in a joint media conference in New Delhi on Aug 5 as he and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally elevated bilateral ties to a strategic partnership. "India becomes only the fifth strategic partner of the Philippines."

The announcement came as Indian and Philippine Navy ships held on Aug 3 and 4 their first-ever joint maritime drills, notably within the Philippines' 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, an area that Beijing also claims.

The timing and location of the exercises underscore the defence dimension of the new partnership at a time when China's assertiveness in the disputed waters is intensifying.

Delivering rare public remarks in English, Mr Modi framed the moment in sweeping terms, saying: "India and the Philippines are friends by choice and partners by destiny. From the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, we are united by shared values. Ours is not just a friendship of the past; it is a promise to the future."

Defence analysts say the expanding security ties reflect a broader recalibration of Manila's foreign policy under Mr Marcos, who has sought to deepen ties with middle powers that share concerns over regional security but avoid great power rivalry.

"The naval drills and state visit happening at the same time was no coincidence. It's meant to project the mutuality of the interest of the two countries in the South China Sea," said Dr Aries Arugay, a visiting senior fellow at Singapore's ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute. "India is also asserting itself as a major power not just in Asia, but globally."