US Pitches Anti-China ‘Shield' With Manila? China ‘Preps Military City', ‘Shadows' NATO Warship
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First Post
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Philippines President Marcos in India for 5-day visit: Why this visit is significant
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr will make his first state visit to India from today (August 4), marking 75 years of diplomatic ties. The visit includes talks with Prime Minister Modi, defence and trade discussions, and a Bengaluru business engagement read more Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr delivers his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), at the House of Representatives, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, July 28, 2025. File Image/Reuters Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr is on his first official visit to India from Monday to Friday (August 4-8, 2025) aimed at advancing cooperation between New Delhi and Manila. The visit comes as the two nations commemorate 75 years of diplomatic relations. This high-level state visit is expected to encompass a broad agenda – from defence and maritime security to trade, investment, and cultural exchange – and marks the first trip by a Filipino head of state to India since Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's visit in 2007. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What's on the Marcos agenda in India Marcos, invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be accompanied by First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos, along with an entourage including senior Cabinet ministers, top bureaucrats, key dignitaries and business leaders. During his stay in New Delhi, Marcos will meet with Modi on August 5 for in-depth bilateral talks. In addition to Modi, he is slated to call on President Droupadi Murmu and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, with discussions expected to cover areas ranging from regional security concerns to bolstering economic ties. According to the Philippine Communications Office (PCO), the official engagements won't be limited to Delhi. 'After official meetings and events in New Delhi, the President and his delegation will travel to Bangalore. He will meet with the business sectors in both cities,' the PCO stated. This Bengaluru leg will be a focal point for economic engagement, as Marcos interacts with leading Indian companies and potential investors. Marcos will also hold a community outreach session with members of the Filipino diaspora in New Delhi. The visit, spanning five days, signals Manila's intent to strengthen strategic ties with one of Asia's largest economies, while also providing New Delhi with a valuable opportunity to deepen its 'Act East' Policy. The trip follows a long hiatus in top-level exchanges. The last time an Indian president visited the Philippines was Ram Nath Kovind in 2019, whereas Marcos's journey will revive head-of-state diplomacy after nearly two decades. India-Philippines defence a priority Defence cooperation has emerged as one of the strongest anchors of India-Philippines relations, and it is set to be a highlight of this state visit. In January 2022, Manila signed a $374.9 million agreement for the purchase of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system, making the Philippines the first foreign buyer of India's flagship missile platform. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The first delivery of the BrahMos took place on April 19, 2024, an event that signalled growing strategic convergence between the two countries. India has been steadily expanding its defence outreach to Southeast Asia, and with the Philippines, the collaboration spans military training, ship visits and maritime security dialogues. Indian Navy and Coast Guard vessels frequently make port calls to the Philippines – notable visits include INS Satpura in June 2022, INS Ranvijay and INS Kora in August 2021, and several earlier deployments. These have often been accompanied by joint exercises, including the first-ever Navy-to-Navy Passage Exercise in the West Philippine Sea in 2021. Cooperation has gone beyond drills and deployments. The two sides signed an MoU on Enhanced Maritime Cooperation in 2023, alongside a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for exchanging white-shipping information, allowing real-time sharing of data on commercial ships to bolster maritime security. High-level defence engagements have also been frequent. A Philippine Coast Guard delegation led by CG Admiral Artemio M Abu visited India in August 2023, and the Philippine Army's commanding general, Lt Gen Roy Mabagos Galido, travelled to India for the 13th Indo-Pacific Army Chiefs' Conference in September 2023. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A 2006 Defence Cooperation MoU led to the creation of the Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC), which has convened four times, most recently in March 2023 in New Delhi. A separate MoU on Defence Industry and Logistics Cooperation signed in 2017 resulted in a Joint Defence Industry and Logistics Committee (JDILC), which has met thrice, including in March 2022. The armed forces of both countries also participate in specialised training exchanges. Philippine officers have attended India's prestigious National Defence College (NDC), while Indian officers have been part of the Master in National Security Administration (MNSA) course in Manila. Engagements extend to staff college programs and delegation visits, including multiple visits by Indian military education institutions such as the Army War College, Mhow. During the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in 2024, Marcos articulated Manila's vision, stating that his country 'will pursue more robust collaboration with friends such as India.' This declaration, alongside India's consistent stance on freedom of navigation and territorial integrity in the South China Sea, positions the defence track as an area ripe for new agreements or expanded commitments during the visit. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What trade between India-Philippines looks like While defence cooperation grabs headlines, trade and investment form the backbone of the India-Philippines relationship – and Marcos's visit is expected to bring this into sharper focus. Bilateral trade has grown steadily, hitting $3.53 billion in 2023-24, a year-on-year increase of 8.6 per cent. India has maintained a healthy trade surplus, exporting $2.09 billion worth of goods to the Philippines while importing $1.43 billion. Major Indian exports include: Engineering goods and automotive parts Pharmaceutical products (India supplies around 20 per cent of total pharma exports to ASEAN) Steel, petroleum products, and chemicals Electronics, plastics, rice, and bovine meat Key imports from the Philippines to India feature: Electrical machinery and semiconductors Copper, lead, and precious stones Plastics and ores Food industry residues and animal fodder According to trade data, Indian pharmaceutical products accounted for 15.96 per cent of Philippine pharmaceutical imports in 2023, putting a spotlight on India's strong role in Manila's healthcare sector. Investment flows complement trade. Indian companies have invested an estimated $5 billion in the Philippines, largely in sectors like IT and BPO services, pharmaceuticals, textiles, agriculture and FMCG. Conversely, Philippine investments in India are smaller but strategically placed, with firms like Ayala's AC Energy Corporation and Atlantic Gulf & Pacific Company (AG&P) active in renewable energy, construction, and infrastructure. Efforts to further streamline commerce have been ongoing. In April 2022, the two countries signed an Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters (ratified in June 2023). Additionally, talks on a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) were revived in December 2023, with negotiations continuing to frame the Terms of Reference for the Trade Negotiations Committee. To encourage tourism and business exchanges, the Philippines recently introduced visa-free travel for Indian nationals, while direct flights between the two countries are expected to resume by late 2025 – a move that could significantly boost connectivity. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Why a strong India-Philippines bond matters The visit holds significance beyond bilateral ties. India and the Philippines are both part of a wider Indo-Pacific strategic framework, sharing concerns about maritime security and trade routes. The Ministry of External Affairs has framed the visit as part of India's broader outreach to Southeast Asia, noting, 'India's relations with the Philippines are an integral pillar of our 'Act East' Policy, Vision MAHASAGAR and our vision of the Indo-Pacific. The forthcoming State Visit of President Marcos coincides with the 75th anniversary of India-Philippines diplomatic relations. The visit is an opportunity for both leaders to set the path for future bilateral cooperation and to engage on regional and international issues of mutual interest.' India's Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with ASEAN also feeds into the relationship, and Marcos's engagements in India are expected to highlight Manila's role as a key Southeast Asian partner for New Delhi. The Philippines, facing ongoing challenges in the South China Sea, views partnerships with like-minded countries as critical. India, which has consistently upheld the principle of freedom of navigation and opposed unilateral changes to the status quo in maritime disputes, provides Manila with a supportive partner in this domain. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
Philippine, Indian navies begin first joint South China Sea patrols
Indian Navy warships have begun patrolling areas of the disputed South China Sea with their Philippine counterparts for the first time, Manila's military said Monday. The two-day sail includes three Indian vessels and started Sunday, a day ahead of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos' scheduled trip to New Delhi for talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Philippines has heightened defence cooperation with a range of allies over the past year after a series of clashes in the contested claims nearly the entirety of the South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal naval vessels arrived in Manila for a port visit late last week. The patrol "started yesterday afternoon, then it's ongoing up to this moment... the activity at the moment is replenishment at sea," Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Salgado told in India, Marcos is expected to sign pacts in such fields as law, culture and technology, according to Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Evangeline Ong Jimenez-Ducrocq, but all eyes will be on any potential defence Philippines has previously purchased BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles from India, a weapon which has a top speed of 3,450 kilometres (2,140 miles) per which has engaged in border clashes with China in the Himalayas, is a member of the so-called Quad, a group that includes fellow democracies the United States, Japan and has repeatedly alleged that the four-way partnership, first conceived by late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, was created as a way of containing China.
First Post
3 hours ago
- First Post
Marcos in India on first state visit day after joint maritime drill near South China Sea
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr embarks on a five-day visit to India. The trip coincides with both nations launching their first joint maritime exercises in the South China Sea amid Chinese aggression read more Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr delivers his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), at the House of Representatives, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, July 28, 2025. File Image/Reuters Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos embarks on a four-day visit to India today, coinciding with both nations launching their first joint maritime drills in the contentious South China Sea. What makes the visit significant is the fact that this is Marcos's first state visit to India. Philippine authorities noted that Marcos's trip would aim to deepen diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries at a time when uncertainties have taken over the international arena. The trip through Friday comes at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD During his four-day visit, Marcos Jr will hold talks with Indian President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Health Minister J P Nadda. He will meet the external affairs minister on August 4, and on the next day, he will be laying a wreath at Raj Ghat before holding bilateral talks with the PM in Heydrabad House. India, Philippines launch monumental Maritime Drills It is pertinent to note that the Philippine president's visit to New Delhi comes as his country conducts its first joint maritime exercises in the South China Sea, amid growing Chinese aggression in the region. The joint drills, dubbed 'maritime cooperative activity,' will be held starting Aug. 3 as visiting Indian naval ships depart Manila harbour. 'This historic visit of the Indian naval ships and the upcoming maiden maritime cooperation activity collectively set a positive tone for the state visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to India next week, underscoring the deepening partnership and expanding cooperation between our two nations,' said Philippine national security officials, diplomats, defense attaches, and other guests, at a reception aboard the INS Shakti (A57) on July 31. The Indian Navy ships guided missile destroyer INS Delhi (D61), fleet tanker INS Shakti and anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kiltan (P30) were docked in Manila on July 30 for a port visit. Meanwhile, Surveillance ship INS Sandhayak (Yard 3025) arrived in the Philippine capital on August 1. 'The visit of the Indian naval ships to the Philippines is a powerful testament to the enduring friendship and growing maritime cooperation between the two countries. It also symbolises our shared commitment to the freedom of navigation and a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific region,' Jain said. In light of this, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. described the upcoming 'coordinated patrol' as 'a clear demonstration of our mutual resolve to safeguard freedom of navigation and uphold the law of the sea.' It is important to note that the island nation has carried out similar patrols with the United States, Australia, Japan, France and Canada. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'As we stand watch over a region vital to global trade and security, we do not do so in isolation, but in partnership with nations who share our values,' General Brawner Jr averred. Defence ties between India and the Philippines have been strong for decades. This can be reflected by the fact that the Philippines was the first overseas customer to receive the BrahMos missile system from India for a contract worth $374.9 million in January 2022.
