China has frequently accused the Philippines of acting as a “troublemaker” and a “disturber of regional stability.”
Published November 2, 2025
The Philippines and Canada signed a defense agreement to expand joint military exercises and deepen security cooperation. This is widely seen as a response to China’s growing assertiveness in the region, particularly in the disputed South China Sea.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty signed the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) on Sunday after closed-door talks in Manila.
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McGuinty said the agreement will enhance joint training, information sharing and coordination during humanitarian crises and natural disasters.
Teodoro said the agreement was critical to preserving what he called a rules-based international order in the Asia-Pacific region and accused China of expansionism. “Who has hegemony? Who wants to expand the territory of the world? China,” he told reporters.
The agreement provides a legal framework for Canadian forces to participate in military exercises in the Philippines, and vice versa. This mirrors similar agreements Manila has with the United States, Australia, Japan and New Zealand.
China has not yet commented on the deal, but has frequently accused the Philippines, which conducts joint patrols and military exercises with Western allies in the South China Sea, of being a “troublemaker” and a “disturber of regional stability.”
The Chinese government claims nearly the entirety of the world’s vital waterways, thereby ignoring a 2016 international tribunal ruling that rejected its claims as illegal. China Coast Guard vessels have repeatedly used water cannons and interdiction tactics against Philippine vessels, causing collisions and injuries.
Teodoro used the regional defense ministers’ meeting in Malaysia over the weekend to denounce China’s declaration of a “nature reserve” around the disputed Scarborough Shoal, which Manila also claims.
“For us, this is a veiled attempt to use military force and the threat of force to undermine the rights of small states and their peoples who depend on these maritime benefits,” he said.
The Philippines is negotiating similar defense deals with France, Singapore, Britain, Germany and India as Manila continues to strengthen its defense partnership amid rising tensions with China.
