A Vietnamese coast guard ship is en route to the Philippines for joint training exercises, Hanoi said, marking the first such exchange between the countries at odds with Beijing over the South China Sea.
Friends at sea: Philippine, Vietnamese coast guards hold first-ever joint exercise
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, but the Philippines, Vietnam and several other countries lay claim to various islands, islets, reefs and shoals in this strategic waterway.
During a visit to Vietnam in January by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, the two countries agreed to strengthen coast guard cooperation in the South China Sea and “peacefully resolve incidents at sea.”
The 2,400-ton CSB 8002 ship left Vietnamese waters on Wednesday on a voyage with “profound political significance,” Vietnam’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.
