MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and Australia on Friday condemned China’s recent actions against Philippine vessels in the South China Sea (SCS) as the two countries moved closer to a new defense agreement to strengthen military cooperation.
In a meeting in Darwin, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles expressed “serious concern over the situation in the South China Sea, particularly China’s vessels engaging in destabilizing and dangerous conduct towards Philippine vessels.”
The two officials met for the third Philippines-Australia Defense Ministers’ Meeting.
In a joint statement, they also said security challenges in the Indo-Pacific had “broadened and intensified” and reaffirmed their commitment to deepen defense ties and uphold international law.
READ: AFP monitors 48 Chinese vessels in West PH Sea in July
They cited recent dangerous actions by the China Coast Guard (CCG) at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea that resulted in injuries to Philippine Navy sailors.
They also criticized “behavior that is aggressive and destabilizing, including water cannoning and ramming of vessels, which risks escalation and miscalculation,” adding that all militaries and maritime forces should operate professionally and safely.
The two sides also welcomed progress toward concluding a Philippines-Australia Defense Cooperation Arrangement, which will replace the 1995 Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation.
READ: Philippine Air Force joins Australia’s 2026 Pitch Black exercise
Once finalized, the agreement will establish a modern framework for bilateral defense ties as the two countries expand cooperation on security, joint activities and interoperability.
Belated confirmation
Beijing, meanwhile, has quietly confirmed the deaths of two Chinese sailors in a collision in the SCS, according to government statements nearly a year after the incident.
Last August, a Chinese navy vessel collided with one from its own coast guard while chasing a Philippine patrol boat near a disputed shoal, video footage released by Manila showed.
A CCG spokesperson confirmed at the time that there had been a confrontation, but did not mention the collision, nor injuries or deaths.
The People’s Armed Police Force said on social media Wednesday it had awarded four “martyrs”—including Coast Guard sailors Yi Xinyu and Cheng Long—special title for “steadfast political convictions, exemplary deeds and outstanding achievements.”
Yi and Cheng both died on Aug. 11, 2025—the date of last year’s collision—in a “rights defense operation,” according to their profiles on the government’s “China Martyrs Network.” —WITH A REPORT FROM AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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