The Philippines and Canada signed a visiting forces agreement on Sunday, the latest military pact struck by Manila as it builds a coalition of allies to deter what it sees as Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.
The Status of Visiting Forces Agreement is Canada’s first such military pact with an Indo-Pacific nation, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said in a joint briefing with his Canadian counterpart, David McGuinty.
"Today is a great day for both of our nations,” McGuinty said. The agreement, which will facilitate joint combat drills between the two countries, also "reflects a deeper truth that peace is built on rules and not recklessness, and that stability grows from cooperation, not confrontation,” he added.
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