Australia Expenditures On Joint Patrols Of The Philippines In The South China Sea

Philippine Defense Minister Carlito Galvez Jr. (left) with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles in Manila. (Twitter/@RichardMarlesMP)

JAKARTA - The Philippines and Australia on Wednesday discussed joint patrols in the South China Sea, days after holding similar talks with the United States on the need to counter China's claims on these strategic waterways.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles met with his partner from the Philippines Carlito Galvez in Manila.

"We are talking today about the possibility of exploring joint patrols and we will continue the work and we hope it will soon materialize," Minister Marles told a joint news conference.

"As a country that is committed to a global regulatory-based order, it is natural that we should think about ways to work together in this regard," he continued.

With some of the maritime claims overlapping, the Philippines is stepping up its efforts to counter what it calls China's "aggressive activity" in the South China Sea, which has also been a hotspot for tensions between Beijing and Washington surrounding naval operations.

On Tuesday, a Philippine Coast Guard Force (PCG) plane flew over the South China Sea, as part of efforts to increase its presence in disputed waters and protect what it says is its maritime territory.

In a statement, PCG said it saw a Chinese coast guard ship and dozens of ships suspected of being ships manned by Chinese militias around Second Thomas and Sabina Shoals, both of which were within the Philippines' 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

PCG ordered the militia suspects to leave and said "they are not allowed to roam or crowd these bents."

The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding this matter.

It is known, the possibility of the Philippines and Australia to hold joint patrols emerged after similar discussions between Manila and Washington about the implementation of joint coast guard patrols, including in the South China Sea.

Meanwhile, military relations between Australia and the Philippines have existed since 1922 and the two countries have agreements on troop visits that provide legal and operational frameworks for defense activities.