Manila and Taipei Weigh Closer Maritime Cooperation
The Philippines is exploring deeper cooperation with Taiwan on protecting undersea cables and addressing gray-zone activity, “notwithstanding our one China policy,” Felipe Carino III, Manila’s deputy chief of mission in Washington, told a Center for a New American Security seminar on Wednesday, Reuters reported via The Japan Times. He cited knowledge-sharing and capacity building and gave no details on joint patrols.
Taiwan’s deputy representative, Andrea Yang, said Taipei would put more resources into unmanned maritime surveillance. Reuters noted Manila recently challenged a Chinese research ship off Batanes.
Separately, Focus Taiwan reported that Philippine scholar Renato Cruz De Castro urged Taiwan-Philippines-Japan defense cooperation at a Taipei forum on October 20, and the Taipei Times quoted Japanese scholar Chisako Masuo calling Chinese maritime activity east of Taiwan a shared concern.
These are officials’ and scholars’ statements, and no joint patrols have been announced. The reports do not include a response from Beijing.