New Delhi/Manila: In the backdrop of raging maritime tensions between China and the Philippines over the Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea, Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr landed to a “warm welcome” in New Delhi on Monday on a five-day state visit to India. India and the Philippines, meanwhile, held joint naval exercises in the disputed South China Sea for the first time. A “delighted” external affairs minister S. Jaishankar called on the visiting dignitary on Monday evening and said he was confident that talks between President Marcos and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would “significantly deepen the bilateral partnership”.Without mentioning India by name, the Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command on Monday accused Manila of “drawing in outside countries” to organise joint patrols, saying that it “undermines regional peace and stability”, according to a report from the Philippines’ capital. The Indian Navy had recently said that “as part of the Indian Navy’s ongoing operational deployment to Southeast Asia, Indian naval ships INS Delhi, Shakti and Kiltan, of the Eastern Fleet, commanded by Rear Adm. Susheel Menon, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet, arrived at Manila”. It also said the “visit will also feature a bilateral maritime exercise between the two navies, focusing on joint manoeuvres and communication protocols to improve preparedness, build mutual trust and strengthen operational synergy in the maritime domain”. Reports from Manila said Philippines armed forces chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner said Monday that the two-day joint naval exercises that began Sunday went successfully, and expressed the hope that Filipino forces could engage India’s military in more joint manoeuvres in future. Asked if the Chinese forces carried out any action in response, Gen. Brawner said, without elaborating, that “we did not experience any untoward incident but we were still shadowed. We expected that already”. In March last year, Mr Jaishankar had visited Manila and had declared there that India “fully supports the Philippines for upholding its national sovereignty”. It may be recalled that the Philippines had signed a $375 million deal for its Navy in 2022 to buy three batteries of the shore-based anti-ship variant of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles from India. It may be noted that the Philippines has a raging maritime territorial dispute with China and had accused Beijing of ramming coastal vessels in the South China Sea. In 2016, the International Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) had ruled in favour of the Philippines and against China in a bitter row over territorial rights and had “concluded that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights within the South China Sea”. China had rejected the verdict and refuses to recognise it. Two Chinese PLA Navy ships, including a guided-missile destroyer, were spotted about 25 nautical miles (46 km) from one of two Philippines Navy frigates that participated in the joint exercises on Sunday, the Philippines military said. During a reception on board Indian Navy tanker INS Shakti, Gen. Brawner said the vessel’s port call in Manila was more than ceremonial, according to reports from Manila. “It sends a powerful signal of solidarity, strength in partnership and the energy of cooperation between two vibrant democracies in the Indo-Pacific,” he said. In a statement last week on the presidential visit, New Delhi had said: “At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr, the President of the Republic of the Philippines, will pay a state visit to India on August 4-8. He will be accompanied by First Lady Madame Louise Araneta Marcos, and a high-level delegation, including several Cabinet ministers, other dignitaries and senior officials, in addition to business representatives. President Marcos will also visit Bengaluru, before returning to the Philippines on August 8. This will be the first visit of President Marcos to India since assumption of office as President of the Philippines. During the visit, the Prime Minister and President Marcos are scheduled to hold bilateral discussions on August 5. President Marcos will also be meeting President Droupadi Murmu. External affairs minister S. Jaishankar is also scheduled to call on President Marcos during this visit.”
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