Philippines and Vietnam held their first joint coast guard exercises
Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Gabriela Silang (photo: wikimedia.org)
On Friday, August 9, rescue service workers from the Philippines and Vietnam conducted a joint training operation in the South China Sea, reports Reuters.
The crews of Filipino and Vietnamese ships used water cannons to sink a boat and simulated a search-and-rescue operation during the first joint coast guard exercises between the two countries, which are in a dispute with China over control of the South China Sea.
The Vietnamese 90-meter ship CSB 8002, which arrived at Manila's port, joined the Philippine patrol vessel BRP Gabriela Silang for the drills, which included fire-fighting, rescue, and medical response simulations.
"Our exercise is more on the humanitarian side," told Lawrence Roque, commanding officer of BRP Gabriela Silang.
These exercises with Vietnam followed the conclusion of two-day naval drills between the Philippines and the military forces of Australia, Canada, and the US. These were the first exercises involving all four nations, which Manila stated were aimed at promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Standoff in the South China Sea
China claims control over nearly the entire South China Sea and seeks to enforce this through a significant deployment of its coast guard in areas that include the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of neighboring countries.
The Chinese coast guard has been accused of aggressive actions that disrupt the fishing and energy activities of Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, raising the risk of conflict escalation. Beijing maintains that its actions are lawful.
Specifically, the Philippines and China are embroiled in a standoff at the Second Thomas Shoal, located within the Philippine EEZ. Manila maintains the old military ship BRP Sierra Madre, staffed with a crew, in this zone.
In June, Chinese and Philippine vessels collided in disputed waters, with both governments accusing each other of provocations. Subsequently, the Chinese coast guard allegedly looted and sank Filipino boats.
Later, the Philippines accused China of destroying coral reef formations in the South China Sea.
At the end of July, China and the Philippines reached an agreement aimed at resolving the dispute over control of the Second Thomas Shoal.
