India, Phillipines To Hold Talks On Defence Amid Concerns Over China

India and the Philippines will review their defence and strategic partnership on Wednesday, aiming to strengthen military ties amid shared concerns about China's aggressive stance regarding the South China Sea.

During their fifth joint defence cooperation committee meeting in Manila, they will discuss bilateral defence issues and regional security.

In recent years, defence relations between the two countries have notably improved.

India delivered the first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines in April, reflecting their strengthening military ties.

This delivery followed a $375 million deal signed over two years ago to supply these missile systems.

Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane will lead the Indian delegation, while the Filipino side will be headed by Senior Under Secretary Irineo Cruz Espino.

The meeting is taking place amid increasing tensions between China and the Philippines following a violent clash between their maritime security personnel in the South China Sea nearly two-and-half months ago.

"During the visit, the defence secretary will discuss ways to further consolidate defence cooperation between the two countries," an official readout said.

The situation in the South China Sea will figure in the talks, officials said.

There have been growing global concerns over China's sweeping claims of sovereignty over all of the South China Sea, a huge source of hydrocarbons.

Several countries in the region including Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei, have counterclaims.

India and many other democratic countries have been pressing for peaceful settlement of the disputes and for adherence to international law, especially the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

"This visit of (Aramane) assumes significance as India and Philippines celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations and 10 years of India's Act East Policy," the defence ministry said in the readout.

"Both the countries have a vigorous and multifaceted relationship which have expanded into several strategic areas, including defence and security," it said.

"They are committed to support each other towards achieving the goal of self-reliance in defence production," it said.

(With Inputs From PTI.)