The Philippines and Canada are close to signing a defense pact concerning the Indo-Pacific region. The pact, known as a visiting forces agreement or V.F.A., will allow larger Canadian military forces and drills in the Indo-Pacific. Canada has been increasing its presence in the region’s seas to strengthen security and protect its trade interests. This has been a recent trend in the region, and the Philippines has conducted drills with the United States, Japan, Australia, and Canada since last year. Additionally, the Philippines is also discussing a V.F.A. with New Zealand. The rise in securitization comes in response to Chinese aggression in the seas.

According to AP News, the announcement came from Canadian Ambassador David Hartman on February 7th, who said that Canada is “in the final stages of the negotiations of our status of forces visiting agreement that will enable us to have even more substantive participation in joint and multilateral training exercises and operations with the Philippines and allies here in the region.” Hartman also stated that Canada has “been vocal in confronting the provocative and unlawful actions of the People’s Republic of China in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea.”

There are several sources of tension between China and nations of the Pacific region. China has laid claim to almost the entire South China Sea, which conflicts with claims by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. Additionally, while a defense pact in 2023 gave the Philippines access to Canada’s “Dark Vessel Detection System,” the Filipino Coast Guard accused Chinese vessels in South China Sea of switching off transmitters to avoid surveillance and detection. China and the Philippines have had many confrontations over the years since the standoff at Scarborough Shoal in 2012. After this, the Philippines sought international arbitration and won the case, claiming that China is overstretching its claims in the South China Sea. However, China has refused to comply and warned the Philippines against seeking third-party legal support.

There are several things to consider with these new developments. First, China should respect other nations in the Asia-Pacific region, since there are many countries with claims to the international waters that are crucial for trade and transport. Nations in Southeast Asia and the Pacific are understandably trying to protect their territories from further encroachment. At the same time, these defense pacts have the possibility of creating a threat spiral. The Philippines is openly forming partnerships related to the military, which China could interpret as a threat and respond by building up its own military partnerships, or becoming more aggressive. The Philippines and other Pacific nations should remain cautious, and make it clear that the goal of these new partnerships is not to create aggravation. Additionally, given the Trump administration’s recent actions towards U.S. allies and partners, it is unclear what will happen to the deal between the Philippines and the U.S. Essentially, it would be best if all parties remain calm and open towards each other to avoid conflict.

The history between the Philippines and China suggests that their territorial disputes will continue for the foreseeable future, but the hope is that they will be able to come to an official agreement that recognizes the Philippines’ borders. Hopefully, the pacts with other powers and militaries will not escalate the tensions further.