Philippines, Singapore Affirm Defense Ties, Maritime Stability

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. concluded a two-nation Southeast Asian tour in Singapore in September 2022, where he and government leaders agreed to boost counterterrorism cooperation and affirmed the importance of peace in the South China Sea.

Marcos arrived in Singapore after a state visit to Indonesia — his first foreign trip as president since his May 2022 election.

Marcos, together with Singapore President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, agreed to strengthen cooperation on information and telecommunications technology. (Pictured: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos attend an orchid-naming ceremony in their honor at Singapore’s National Orchid Garden in September 2022.)

“The leaders welcomed the wide-ranging and robust cooperation between both countries, including in trade and investment, counterterrorism, healthcare and digital cooperation,” a joint statement said.

They also reaffirmed long-standing bilateral and defense ties and welcomed the signing of an agreement between their militaries to set up a joint Singapore-based team to share counterterrorism information.

The leaders also discussed competing South China Sea claims, as well as the deepening political crisis in Myanmar nearly two years after a military coup.

The leaders agreed on the importance of a “peaceful resolution of disputes without resorting to threat or use of force, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” according to the statement.

They also emphasized the need to promote an environment conducive to the negotiations for a South China Sea code of conduct.  Benar News