Philippines and Vietnam Upgrade Strategic Partnership Amid South China Sea Tensions

Amid ongoing tensions in the South China Sea, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vietnamese President To Lam announced the upgrade of their existing 'Strategic Partnership' to an 'Enhanced Strategic Partnership,' pledging to jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and State President, paid a state visit to the Philippines from May 31 to June 1. According to a joint statement released by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, with 50 years of diplomatic relations and 10 years of strategic partnership, the foundation for cooperation is mature, leading to the decision to further elevate bilateral ties. In international diplomatic practice, an 'Enhanced Strategic Partnership' is considered a high-level cooperation framework, second only to a 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.' The joint statement noted that both leaders reaffirmed the importance of adhering to international law, the UN Charter, and the ASEAN Charter. They will continue to promote cooperation through existing mechanisms such as bilateral cooperation, defense and security dialogues, and maritime consultations, while formulating a new action plan under the 'Enhanced Strategic Partnership' framework. Both the Philippines and Vietnam have maritime disputes with China; the statement reaffirmed support for peaceful dispute resolution based on international law, maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, opposing military intimidation, and supporting the accelerated completion of a substantive and international law-compliant Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. Regarding maritime, security, and defense cooperation, both sides agreed to strengthen existing maritime cooperation mechanisms, including a vice-ministerial joint committee, establish a coast guard hotline, and expand cooperation in military medicine, logistics, defense trade, search and rescue, humanitarian aid, counter-terrorism, and peacekeeping. In economic cooperation, both sides hope to push bilateral trade to $10 billion by reducing investment and trade barriers to build a more balanced trade relationship. They also agreed to strengthen cooperation in science and technology innovation, digital transformation, e-governance, energy, manufacturing investment, and the green economy. Agriculture and food security were also key topics. Both countries committed to deepening cooperation in rice, fisheries, smart agriculture, disaster management, and climate change adaptation, and jointly combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing to enhance food supply chain resilience and agricultural development. The joint statement also mentioned strengthening cooperation to combat cyber fraud, human trafficking, illegal migration, and transnational crime, and establishing regular information sharing and law enforcement coordination mechanisms to address increasingly severe non-traditional security challenges. Against the backdrop of China's continued expansion in the South China Sea, interaction between the Philippines and Vietnam in maritime and security fields has increased in recent years. After the meeting, To Lam reaffirmed that Vietnam would continue to deepen its cooperation with the Philippines, and Marcos accepted an invitation to visit Vietnam at a later date.