MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Australia will present surveillance drones and different high-tech gear to the Philippine coast guard and is contemplating whether or not to participate in joint patrols within the disputed South China Sea, Australia Foreign Minister Penny Wong mentioned Thursday.
Wong, who held talks in Manila along with her counterpart, Enrique Manalo, additionally thanked the Philippine authorities for its assist in the invention of a ship that sank throughout World War II within the northern Philippines, killing practically a thousand Australians “in a very sad chapter in our history.”
The United States and the Philippines, that are longtime treaty allies, have been holding talks on proposed joint naval patrols within the South China Sea, the place China has fortified its huge territorial claims by remodeling disputed reefs into missile-protected island bases and deploying Chinese coast guard and militia ships on fixed patrols.
Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei are additionally embroiled within the territorial disputes.
Washington lays no claims to the disputed waters however has deployed warships and fighter jets on patrols which it says are aimed toward guaranteeing freedom of navigation and overflight.
In February, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and his Philippine counterpart mentioned in Manila that they have been taking a look at Australian and Philippine forces probably finishing up joint patrols.
Responding to a query at a information convention Thursday concerning the prospects of Australia becoming a member of such patrols with the U.S. and the Philippines, Wong mentioned that “we are open to cooperating with all our partners to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight.”
“Our departments are discussing the best pathway to take this forward, and we want to keep working with the Philippines on that,” Wong mentioned, with out elaborating.
She added that Australia needs “a region that is predictable” the place “sovereignty is respected.”
In her talks with Philippine officers, Wong mentioned she mentioned methods to bolster safety cooperation, together with “Australia providing drone equipment, training and other technology to strengthen your coast guard in maritime domain awareness and protection capabilities.”
The two international locations are additionally discussing plans for extra joint army coaching and workouts, Wong mentioned.
The United States and Australia have each struck agreements with the Philippines for non permanent visits by troops for joint fight workouts within the nation. The Philippine Constitution prohibits the everlasting basing of overseas troops and their involvement in native fight.
Wong thanked the Philippines for its assist in the current discovery of a sunken Japanese ship, the Montevideo Maru, off the northern Philippine province of Ilocos Norte.
A group of explorers introduced in Australia final month that it had discovered the ship, which was transporting Allied prisoners of battle when it was torpedoed off the Philippine coast in 1942, leading to Australia’s largest maritime wartime loss.
The Montevideo Maru was transporting prisoners and civilians who have been captured after the autumn of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea. The ship was not marked as carrying POWs, and on July 1, 1942, the American submarine Sturgeon, after stalking the ship via the night time, fired 4 torpedoes which sank the vessel in lower than 10 minutes. More than 1,000 prisoners from 14 nations have been killed, together with 979 Australians.
“This has been a very sad chapter in our history, and we are glad for your assistance in that work,” Wong mentioned.
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