Philippines and Vietnam agree to expand cooperation in South China Sea, which Beijing also claims

By ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL and JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The Philippines and Vietnam have signed agreements to avoid incidents in the South China Sea and broaden cooperation between their coast guards. The growing alliance will likely be frowned upon by China, which claims virtually the entire waters. The agreements, along with discussions on enhancing information-sharing and training exchanges between the Vietnamese and Philippine militaries, were forged Tuesday during a visit to Hanoi by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Both sides agreed to boost trade and investment and signed a key deal on rice.