Reuters: Australia and the Philippines signed a new defense cooperation agreement in Manila on Sunday, aimed at strengthening military ties and facilitating coordination between their armed forces amid rising tensions with China in the South China Sea.
The agreement streamlines the procedures under their existing Status of Forces Agreement, paving the way for closer cooperation between naval, air and land operations, joint training, intelligence sharing and disaster response. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albany said Canberra would also provide additional drones, equipment and training to strengthen maritime surveillance and cyber security capabilities.