Manila: In a move likely to provoke China, France and the Philippines have committed to deepening their military alliance after conducting joint combat exercises in the contested South China Sea last week.
The two nations carried out anti-submarine warfare operations and aerial combat training, showcasing their growing defense collaboration. Following the drills, the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle docked at Subic Bay on Friday — a former U.S. naval base located northwest of Manila.
Speaking from the carrier’s flight deck on Sunday, French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel emphasized their commitment to strengthening regional partnerships. "We seek to bolster our cooperation with nations that share our values of upholding international law and ensuring freedom of navigation in shared maritime areas," she said.
This military partnership builds on a defense cooperation agreement signed between France and the Philippines in late 2023. Both sides are now negotiating a deal that would enable their forces to train on each other’s soil, with French officials having submitted a draft proposal to Manila to kick off discussions.
The Philippines has already established similar military training agreements with the United States and Australia. France, for its part, has been increasing defense collaborations across Southeast Asia, particularly with countries involved in territorial disputes with Beijing. Paris, however, maintains that its activities in the region focus on emergency preparedness and are not directed against any specific nation.
China has consistently opposed the presence of foreign military forces in the South China Sea, particularly those allied with the U.S. Beijing claims almost the entire waterway, despite competing claims from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
Regional tensions have escalated in recent weeks with Australia recently accused a Chinese J-16 fighter jet of launching flares dangerously close to its P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft in the disputed waters — a move that further heightened concerns over China’s military posture in the area.
