Germany recently became the latest Western power to announce plans to substantially deepen security ties with the Philippines — a development that highlights how Manila is also looking beyond its traditional regional partners to bolster its defense posture amid escalating territorial disputes with China.
The Philippines’ defense-networking strategy was on full display during a visit by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to Manila earlier this month. In a joint statement, Pistorius and Philippine defense chief Gilberto Teodoro announced their commitment to concluding a broader defense pact to expand cooperation into new areas.
Expected to be signed before the end of this year, the agreement is set to facilitate joint military training activities and weapon sales, with Teodoro quoted as saying that Manila is "looking to engage Germany as a “possible supplier” of military systems in areas such as “command and control, anti-access/aerial denial, maritime domain, aerial domain and in higher technologically capable equipment."
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