菲律宾和新西兰在与中国海洋紧张局势加剧的背景下启动部队部署协议
Richard Sanders
The Philippines and New Zealand have commenced discussions to establish an agreement permitting troop deployments on each other’s territory, as announced yesterday. This move comes amid escalating concerns over maritime disputes with China.
Manila aims to strengthen defense partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region in response to China’s assertive claims in the contested South China Sea.
Last Thursday, the first round of negotiations took place in Manila between the defense departments of both nations. A joint statement emphasized that these talks represent a significant advancement in bolstering defense relations.
The proposed Status of Visiting Forces Agreement would create a legal foundation for enhanced cooperative activities and joint military exercises within each other’s territories, furthering overall defense collaboration.
New Zealand’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Catherine McIntosh, attended the Manila meeting, with other Wellington delegates participating virtually. Philippine negotiators included officials from the defense, justice, and foreign affairs departments, along with representatives from the Presidential Commission on Visiting Forces.
Recently, the Philippine Senate ratified a similar defense agreement with Japan. The country has also formed defense pacts with the US and Australia and is in discussions with France.
China claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, disregarding competing claims from several nations, including Taiwan and the Philippines, as well as an international ruling that undermines its position. Tensions have led to frequent confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels in this critical maritime region.
理查德·桑德斯
菲律宾和新西兰已开始讨论建立一项协议，允许双方在对方领土上部署军队，昨日宣布了这一消息。这一举措是在对中国海洋争端加剧的担忧中提出的。
马尼拉旨在加强与亚太地区的防御伙伴关系，以应对中国在有争议的南中国海的强硬主张。
上周四，两国国防部门在马尼拉进行了首次谈判。联合声明强调，这些谈判标志着加强防御关系的重要进展。
拟议的《来访部队协定》将为在对方领土上开展增强的合作活动和联合军事演习奠定法律基础，进一步推动整体防御合作。
新西兰驻菲律宾大使凯瑟琳·麦金托什出席了马尼拉会议，其他威灵顿代表则以虚拟方式参与。菲律宾谈判代表包括国防、司法和外交部门的官员，以及来自总统来访部队委员会的代表。
最近，菲律宾参议院批准了一项与日本的类似防御协议。该国还与美国和澳大利亚签署了防御协议，并与法国进行讨论。
中国声称几乎整个南中国海的主权，无视包括台湾和菲律宾在内的多个国家的竞争主张，以及削弱其立场的国际裁决。紧张局势导致菲律宾和中国船只在这一关键海域频繁发生对抗
