Defense diplomacy not NATO-like - AFP
Manila, Philippines - The Philippines has downplayed China’s remarks that defense agreements in the Asia-Pacific rim resemble the Cold War-era regional military bloc North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The consistent stance in the face of China’s threats has attracted another NATO founding member, Italy, to join the growing list of allies wanting to forge an expanded defense cooperation deal with Manila, taking the cue from France and the UK that are also original NATO members.
“It is a normal action of countries to band together when they face common threats,” Philippine Navy Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, told a press briefing on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
The navy official was responding to questions on how the country views the pronouncements made by Chinese Ambassador to Manila Huang Xilian during a Sept. 17 forum in Manila. Huang had said at the time that “some countries have sought to replicate block confrontation in the Asia-Pacific by promoting the idea of an Asia-Pacific NATO with such divisive intentions.”
Before that, the UK had written the Philippines about its intent to enter into a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) with the Philippines, a bilateral defense pact that Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. said will be underpinned by British support for the country’s territorial claim in the West Philippine Sea.
“We welcome international support provided to the Philippine-led efforts to ensure the rules-based order will remain in the West Philippine Sea. Collective security does not endanger the region. It ensures that the region will remain peaceful,” Trinidad said, downplaying Beijing’s accusation of divisiveness.
The prospective defense pact with the UK allows the entry of foreign troops for joint military drills and humanitarian missions – an arrangement that the Philippines already made with long-time ally and NATO founding member US, as well as with Australia and recently, Japan. The country has also concluded talks for a VFA with Canada (also a NATO founding member) and New Zealand.
“In terms of defense diplomacy, we are now seeing the results. Only last week, the Department of National Defense (DND) highlighted the defense cooperation agreement between the United Kingdom and the Philippines DND,” Trinidad said.
“And forthcoming will be, there are already talks of strengthening the relationship on the defense sector between Italy and the Philippines so bilateral relations, defense to defense is increasing,” the navy official said.
Apart from Italy, the UK, France, the US and Canada, the 12 founding members of NATO include Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal.
NATO was formed in 1949 in Washington, D.C. to mainly deter the then Soviet Union from expanding in Europe. And while the alliance does not have its own army, member states can together decide a collective military action in response to international crises.
