The Philippines and France on Thursday signed a key defense pact allowing their forces to train together, as Manila builds security alliances in the face of an increasingly assertive China in the South China Sea.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and French Minister for the Armed Forces and Veterans Catherine Vautrin formalized the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) during a bilatera...
The strongest version of this narrative presents the Philippines-France defense pact as a pragmatic response to China's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. Manila is systematically diversifying its security partnerships, moving beyond traditional allies like the U.S. to include European powers with strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific. France, with its overseas territories in the region, has its own reasons to strengthen ties, making this a mutually beneficial arrangement. The empha...