India recently supported the sovereignty of Philippines amid rising military tensions between China and Philippines on South China Sea (SCS) region issues.
Disputes over South China Sea:
- The 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) was the “the constitution of the seas” and all parties must adhere to it in its entirety, both in letter and in spirit.
- The Chinese Navy and Coast Guard have been frequently accused of violating sovereign waters of other countries and claiming islands.
- China’s actions have drawn protest from many Asian neighbors, including the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia in the South China Sea (SCS) region.
- The Spartly Islands are a group of islands claimed by Philippines, but China laid troops and settlements on the archipelago.
About South China Sea:
- It is arm of the western Pacific Ocean that borders the Southeast Asian mainland.
- It is bounded by Taiwan and the Philippines (east), Borneo (southeast and south), East coast of Malay Peninsula and southern part of the Gulf of Thailand.
- It is connected to East China Sea via Taiwan Strait and Philippine Sea via by Luzon Strait.
- The bordering countries include Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
India Philippines Relations:
India and the Philippines have had diplomatic relations since 1949, when both countries gained independence.
Political relations:
- When India launched the Look East Policy and intensified partnership with ASEAN, including Philippines in 1992.
- With the Act East Policy initiated in 2014, it diversified further into political-security; trade and industry and people-to-people realms.
- The umbrella bilateral mechanism is the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) to discuss engagement in all the areas of mutual interests.
- The Philippines has been supportive of a greater role for India in the UN Security Council and supports India’s G-4 initiative for Security Council Reform.
- India regularly provides Humanitarian assistance during natural calamities and more recently during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Defence & Security Cooperation:
- The main stay of bilateral defence cooperation is through capacity building with training exchanges and visits of delegations.
- Both countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) on Defence Cooperation in 2006 under which a Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) was set up.
- MoU on Defence Industry and Logistics cooperation occurred in 2017 and have also set up a separate Joint Defence Industry and Logistics Committee (JDILC).
- Defence ties were significantly enhanced with the signing of a contract worth US$ 374.9 million to supply the BrahMos missile system in 2022.
Trade-Ties:
- Bilateral trade between India and Philippines increased from USD 1.89 billion in 2015-16 to USD 3.05 billion in 2022-23, crossing USD 3 billion mark for the first time.
- The major items of export from India include engineering goods, automobiles parts, transmission apparatus, electric transformers, petroleum products, iron & steel semi-finished products, etc.
- Philippines account for around 20% of total Indian pharma exports to the ASEAN region.
- Major items of import from Philippines include Electrical machinery, semiconductors, ores, slag and ashes; copper, lead, plastics, pearls and precious stones, etc.
- Indian investment in the Philippines is mainly in the areas of IT& ITES; pharmaceuticals and healthcare; yarn and textiles; infrastructure (airport); agriculture; biomass energy; FMCG etc.
- Estimated Indian investments in the Philippines is valued around US $ 5 billion.
- Financial Technology (Fintech) is one of the focused sectors with JWG on Cooperation in Financial Technology was signed in 2023 for digital payments, and financial inclusion.
Health, Science & Technology:
- Philippines was the first ASEAN Member to grant Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Covaxin, Philippines form nearly 20% of total Indian pharma exports to the ASEAN.
- An MOU on cooperation in Traditional Medicine was signed with National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur.
- Bilateral Programme of Cooperation (POC) in Science and Technology was signed for areas like agricultural biotechnology, health, medical sciences; ICT, Ocean & Atmospheric Science.
- India and Philippines similar environmental issues like oceanic pollution, illegal fishing and protecting the environment in the region.
Cultural Ties & Diaspora:
- Words with Sanskrit roots in Tagalog(their local language) and Laguna Copper Plate inscription was discovered in Philippines written in Kavi derived from Pallava script.
- The localized version of Indian epic Ramayana (Maharadia Lawana) testify to the historical links between the two countries.
- The Indian community in the Philippines is estimated to be around 1,50,000, mainly Punjabis and Sindhis.
- Sindhis are primarily engaged in trading, retail sector and manufacturing, while Punjabis, mostly from rural background are predominantly involved in micro-financing.
Location of the Philippines:
- Philippines is island country of Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean.
- It is an archipelago consisting of more than 7,000 islands and islets lying about 500 miles (800 km) off the coast of Vietnam.
- It is bounded by the Philippine Sea to the east, the Celebes Sea to the south, the Sulu Sea to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the west and north.
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