On April 30, New Zealand Defence Minister Andrew Collins (left) and Philippine Defence Minister Gilbert Teodoro (right) signed the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a photo opportunity. (AFP)
The Philippines and New Zealand have signed an agreement that will allow troops from both countries to visit each other's territories as they seek to strengthen security cooperation in an "increasingly challenging" strategic environment.
Bloomberg reported that New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins, who is visiting Manila, signed the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) with Philippine Defence Minister Gilbert Teodoro on Wednesday (April 30).
As it seeks to counter China's growing influence, the US ally has been strengthening its defence ties with other countries. The Philippines has similar agreements with Australia, the US and Japan and is expected to reach a similar deal with Canada "soon".
"As our Prime Minister said, we want to protect and advance our interests in the Indo-Pacific and we can only do that by working with our partners," Collins said.
She said both countries "truly recognize that the strategic environment we are in is deteriorating".
"Some people respect international law but others want to redefine it... We need to stop this unwelcome behavior," Teodoro said. He added that Manila and Wellington would commit to "military-to-military training".
New Zealand has been forging links with Southeast Asia. Last year, it signed an agreement with the Philippines for reciprocal logistics support and the two countries' leaders sought to establish a "comprehensive partnership" by 2026.
Editor: Yuan Ye
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7499042163507003939/
Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's views. Please express your opinions by upvoting or downvoting below.