Philippines and Britain begin negotiations on troop access agreement

A proposed troop access pact between the Philippines and Britain is the latest sign of Manila’s aim to draw in more European and other powers sharing similar concerns about security in the South China Sea and the continuous flow of goods along the vital waterways.

The visiting forces agreement would allow troops from both countries to train and operate temporarily on each other’s soil, a move analysts say could lead to closer ties between the Philippines and Nato members and reduce its reliance on the US security umbrella.

Philippine and British defence officials met in Manila on Thursday for the first round of negotiations towards the agreement.

“We appreciate the UK’s unqualified support as a like-minded partner in upholding the rules-based international order and preserving freedoms ensured by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” said Melchon Mison Jnr, defence undersecretary for acquisition and resource management, in a statement, as he met Amy Senior, head of Indo-Pacific at the UK’s Ministry of Defence.

Discussions began last year after London proposed the agreement through a letter sent to Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro from Britain’s then defence secretary John Healey.

The agreement would set the terms for British and Philippine troops taking part in joint exercises, training, humanitarian work and disaster response missions in each other’s territory.