Philippines’ trusted strategic partner in ASEAN, Vietnam
Since 2011, the Philippines has been confronted by increasingly complex maritime challenges in the West Philippine Sea/South China Sea. Faced with what it perceives as a major security concern for an archipelagic state in the third decade of the 21st century, the Philippines has pursued a more active and comprehensive maritime security policy.
The Marcos administration’s approach to this challenge is notable because it is not limited to one instrument of state policy. Rather, it seeks to combine defense modernization, alliance management, legal diplomacy, maritime domain awareness and cooperation with like-minded partners.
At present, the current administration has formulated and implemented the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept, or CADC. The CADC is designed to enable the Philippine military to project its growing capabilities into maritime areas that must be protected and preserved.
It also provides for specific measures aimed at archipelagic defense, the development of credible deterrence capabilities, the creation of strategic depth and the strengthening of security relations with the United States and other partners.
The Philippines’ policy of more openly safeguarding its maritime rights and interests has distinguished it from some of its fellow member states in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Some ASEAN countries have generally preferred diplomatic, cautious and risk-avoidance approaches in addressing maritime disputes in the South China Sea.
Manila, by contrast, has attached particular importance to maritime security as a vital national interest of an archipelagic state. Nevertheless, the Philippines’ approach continues to operate within the broader framework of diplomacy, international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
Is the Philippines alone in ASEAN?
In actuality, however, the Philippines is not alone in ASEAN. It has a constructive and trustworthy strategic partner in Vietnam. Since Manila and Hanoi forged their Strategic Partnership in 2015, both Southeast Asian states have gradually expanded the scope and depth of their bilateral relations.
Maritime cooperation has become one of the important pillars of their strategic partnership, alongside political dialogue, defense exchanges, legal consultations, economic cooperation and coordination in regional forums.
This has been shown by the two countries’ regular exchanges through mechanisms such as the Joint Committee on Sea and Ocean Cooperation and the Group of Legal Experts on Maritime Issues. These mechanisms have enabled both sides to enhance mutual understanding, exchange views on maritime issues and strengthen practical cooperation.
The two countries have also explored the prospects for cooperation on defense and security, including logistics, defense industry exchanges, coast guard cooperation, search and rescue, maritime safety and efforts to combat transnational crimes at sea.
Philippine–Vietnam bilateral cooperation is not directed against any third party. Instead, it has emerged as a model of constructive cooperation between two confident Southeast Asian states that share an interest in maintaining peace, stability, safety, security, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the region.
Vietnam and the Philippines have become natural partners in ASEAN. Both countries share common interests in upholding international law, preserving ASEAN centrality in Indo-Pacific regional affairs, promoting multilateralism and maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea. The two Southeast Asian countries’ bilateral ties have expanded rapidly across political, economic, defense, maritime, and multilateral cooperation.
For Vietnam, its approach to the South China Sea is anchored in its consistent policy of resolving disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Hanoi emphasizes self-restraint, dialogue, confidence-building, the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and the early conclusion of an effective, substantive, and legally consistent Code of Conduct. This approach reflects Vietnam’s broader foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development.
This policy has enabled Vietnam to expand maritime cooperation with the Philippines while maintaining a balanced, independent and responsible regional posture.
Vietnam’s “Four Nos” defense policy further underscores its preference for non-alignment, dialogue and peaceful cooperation. It also demonstrates Hanoi’s determination to manage differences through diplomatic and legal means, avoid confrontation, and contribute to a stable regional environment.
For the Philippines, Vietnam is an important ASEAN partner with whom it shares many strategic interests. The development of Philippine–Vietnam relations demonstrates that ASEAN member states can pursue practical and principled cooperation without forming exclusive blocs or heightening regional tensions.
It also shows that maritime cooperation can be advanced through non-military and confidence-building measures, including naval exchanges, coast guard engagement, search-and-rescue coordination, maritime safety cooperation and joint efforts against transnational crimes.
Elevating a unique but vibrant strategic partnership
The Philippines and Vietnam share a mutual interest in maintaining peace, stability, safety, security, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the region. However, their approaches reflect their respective national conditions, strategic cultures and foreign policy traditions.
The Philippines has strengthened its defense capabilities and deepened its alliance and security partnerships. Vietnam, for its part, continues to pursue an independent, self-reliant, balanced and peaceful foreign policy while expanding practical cooperation with regional partners.
Despite these differences in approach, both countries have elevated their strategic partnership to a higher level of trust and practical cooperation. In January 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. paid a state visit to Vietnam to reinforce mutual political trust and reaffirm their shared commitment to advancing bilateral cooperation across multiple issue areas.
In the aftermath of President Marcos Jr.’s visit to Hanoi, officials on both sides continued their regular consultations at ministerial and senior levels, strengthening the two countries’ coordination in ASEAN cooperation and their collective responses to emerging regional challenges.
The bilateral relationship has continued to expand beyond maritime and defense issues. Political trust has been strengthened; economic and trade ties have gained new momentum; people-to-people exchanges have grown; and cooperation in agriculture, food security, education, tourism, and culture has become increasingly important. These areas provide the relationship with broader substance and ensure that the strategic partnership is not limited to security concerns alone.
In the coming period, the Philippines and Vietnam have a strong foundation to further deepen their cooperation. Their shared commitment to international law, ASEAN centrality, maritime cooperation, peaceful dispute settlement and regional stability provides the basis for a more comprehensive and future-oriented partnership. Their relationship has become one of the most dynamic examples of intra-ASEAN cooperation between two emerging and confident middle powers in Southeast Asia.
In this context, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Philippines, the expected high-level visit of General Secretary and President of Vietnam To Lam to Manila offers an important opportunity to inject new momentum into bilateral relations.
The shared aspiration to elevate Philippine–Vietnam relations from a Strategic Partnership to a higher level would mark an important diplomatic milestone. It would reflect the maturity, trust and growing importance of the relationship between two key Southeast Asian partners.
The Philippines and Vietnam have built a practical, resilient and forward-looking partnership. At a time when regional stability requires dialogue, restraint, cooperation and respect for international law, Manila and Hanoi are well-positioned to work more closely together.
For this reason, the aspiration to elevate bilateral relations to a higher level is timely, appropriate, and consistent with the interests of both peoples, as well as with the broader goal of contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in Southeast Asia.
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Dr. Renato De Castro is a trustee, convenor and non-resident fellow of think tank Stratbase ADR Institute. He is also a distinguished full professor at the Department of International Studies at De La Salle University-Manila.
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