Philippines and Vietnam upgrade ties to 'enhanced strategic partnership'

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vietnamese President To Lam agreed on Monday to elevate their countries' decade-old strategic partnership to an "enhanced strategic partnership," expanding political-security and maritime cooperation as Hanoi wrapped up a maiden state visit to Manila. The two leaders issued a joint statement following talks at the Malacañang Palace that marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Southeast Asian neighbors.

Maritime security

The presidents committed to strengthening maritime safety mechanisms in the disputed South China Sea, including implementing an "understanding on incident prevention and management" and boosting coast guard cooperation. Both sides pledged to resolve maritime incidents through peaceful means in accordance with international law, while expanding collaboration on marine environmental protection and combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing through information sharing and capacity building.

Economic cooperation

Manila and Hanoi set their sights on surpassing $10 billion in bilateral trade and achieving a more balanced commercial relationship by improving market access and reducing barriers. They also agreed to deepen agricultural collaboration in rice, fisheries, sustainable blue economy development and climate change adaptation, while the two leaders witnessed the exchange of several bilateral agreements to formalize these commitments.