Philippines President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr is in New Delhi, marking the start of a five-day visit that carries an unmissable geopolitical weight. This
comes just after India and the Philippines carried out joint naval exercises in the disputed South China Sea for the first time, signalling a maturing Delhi-Manila axis. Further, the visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of India-Philippines diplomatic relations.
India Welcomes 'Special Partner'
Philippines President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr, along with the country's First Lady Madame Louise Araneta Marcos, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday, August 5. This is Marcos' first visit to India since he assumed the office of President of the Republic of the Philippines.
On his arrival at the Rashtrapati Bhavan complex, the visiting dignitary was received by President Droupadi Murmu in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was accorded a Guard of Honour.
The Philippines' President, later in the day, held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi. During the five day visit, he will also take part in several engagements to bolster ties between the two countries.
Speaking on Marcos' maiden state visit to India, Ministy of External Affairs said, "A special welcome for a special partner. President of the Philippines on his maiden State Visit to India was welcomed by Guard of Honour & ceremonial welcome. Warmly greeted by President Droupadi Murmu & PM Modi at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan."
Broadening India-Philippines Ties
Notably, Philippines and India share a strong defence partnership and Malina was one of the first countries to purchase the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles from India under a 2022 deal worth $375 million. Further, during the President's visit to New Delhi on Monday, India and the Philippines announced upgraded their bilateral relationship to 'Strategic Partnership'.
India and the Philippines signed several key agreements aimed at bolstering ties, including three defence documents, laying the groundwork for deeper collaboration across the Army, Navy, and Air Force; an agreement on maritime security, mutual legal assistance, on science and tech, tourism among others.
Speaking on his visit, Marcos said his visit to India is a reaffirmation of the bilateral partnership that "we are strengthening". He also asserted that Manila wants to build on the existing ties with New Delhi and explore "many opportunities" that have arisen in the past few years.
"I think it's a reaffirmation of the alliance and the partnership that we are strengthening. We used to refer to the Asia Pacific region, we now refer to it as the Indo-Pacific region, which is, I think, a correct evolution of the understanding because of the global nature of all the politics, all the trade and all of the economy," the Philippine president said.
"And I want to build upon what we already have, but certainly to explore many opportunities that have arisen in the past few years because of the new technologies and the changing state of the global economy and the geopolitics around us now," he said.
India-Philippines Carry Out First Exercise in South China Sea
India and the Philippines have staged joint naval exercises in the disputed South China Sea for the first time, a high-profile military deployment that antagonised China. The exercise began on Sunday and was successfully concluded on Monday, said Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner. He hoped that Filipino forces could engage India's military in more joint maneuvers in the future, reported AP.
Brawner said the Philippines has to boost deterrence to prevent war. "The way to do that is, number one, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has to be strengthened through modernisation, and secondly, we need to partner with like-minded nations and that's what we're doing with India," he said last week.
How China Reacted on India-Philippines Joint Drills
Brawner was asked if the Chinese forces carried out any action in response to the India-Philippines naval exercise. On this he said, "We did not experience any untoward incident but we were still shadowed. We expected that already."
According to a report by Associated Press, two Chinese navy ships, including a guided-missile destroyer, were spotted about 25 nautical miles from one of two Philippine navy frigates that participated in the joint sail on Sunday.
The Chinese military's Southern Theater Command said it conducted routine patrols in the South China Sea on Sunday and Monday and added that it remains resolute in defending China's territory and maritime rights and interests.
Without mentioning India by name, the Southern Theater Command accused the Philippines of drawing in outside countries to organise joint patrols that it said undermine regional peace and stability. Beijing asserted that
Growing Delhi-Manila Ties: A Worry For China?
The growing synergy between India and the Philippines - cleary evident in high-level visit by President Marcos, defence deals and joint naval drills among other - must be closely watched by China.
Beijing's expansive claims to virtually the entire South China Sea, a key global trade route, have led to tense confrontations with other claimant states, particularly the Philippines and Vietnam. Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also lay claims to parts of the contested waters.
Further, the joint exercise in disputed waters seems to have sent a strong message to China. While for the Philippines, it is a clear effort to bolster deterrence, for India, it is about reinforcing commitment to a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific.
