Manila, Hanoi to cooperate in S. China Sea in face of more assertive Beijing

They will try to prevent untoward incidents in waterway, set up hotline for coast guards

- Mara Cepeda

MANILA - The Philippines and Vietnam on Jan 30 forged deals to bolster their maritime cooperation in the South China Sea, shoring up trust between the two nations as they continue to face a more assertive Beijing.

The countries signed two memorandums of understanding (MOUS) during Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's two-day state visit to Hanoi.

The first seeks to prevent untoward incidents in the South China Sea, with both sides agreeing to intensify efforts to "promote trust, confidence and understanding through dialogue and cooperative activities".

The second MOU aims to improve cooperation between the two countries' coast guards, including setting up a direct hotline communication mechanism between them.

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entirety of the South China Sea, including parts of the exclusive economic zones of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. The Permanent Court of Arbritration in 2016 ruled that China's claims had no legal basis.

Beijing has refused to recognise this ruling and has instead ramped up its military presence and artificial island-building activities in the South China Sea.

As a result, ties between the Philippines and China have deteriorated, with Chinese vessels shadowing and firing water cannon at Philippine ships taking supplies to troops stationed at a remote military outpost on the Second Thomas Shoal.