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Opinion
South China Sea: three barriers to a fully fledged Philippines-Vietnam alliance
- Despite Marcos Jnr’s best efforts, Manila and Hanoi will have to first overcome mistrust, strategic and ideological differences, and their lack of military operational compatibility
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Richard Javad Heydarian is an Asia-based academic, currently a Professorial Chairholder in Geopolitics at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr spoke of the Philippines’ “burgeoning” ties with Vietnam the first time he met Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, on the sidelines of the Asean summit in Cambodia last November.
Later that month, the Philippine president hosted Vietnam’s National Assembly chairman Vuong Dinh Hue in Malacanang Palace, where his special guest spoke of the need to “do more to enhance the relationships between our political parties and government-to-government and parliament-to-parliament relationships”.
Last month, Marcos Jnr met Pham again on the sidelines of the Asean summit in Indonesia to continue discussions, including on South China Sea disputes. Marcos underscored the need to “talk sincerely” and “find a way” to ensure the countries – both members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – manage their disputes as part of broader efforts towards a full strategic partnership.
Soon after, the two nations held the 10th meeting of their high-level Joint Permanent Working Group on Maritime and Ocean Concerns in Vietnam, to better coordinate their South China Sea positions and explore cooperation, especially in maritime security.
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