Q & AAsia-Pacific

Philippines, Vietnam Expand Ties to Counter China Threat

Philippines, Vietnam Expand Ties to Counter China Threat
Filipino fishermen on a boat go by Vietnamese frigates at the south harbor in Manila, Philippines, Nov. 25, 2014 (AP photo by Aaron Favila).

Earlier this month, the foreign ministers of the Philippines and Vietnam met to discuss the possibility of forming a strategic partnership. In an email interview, Carl Thayer, professor emeritus at the University of New South Wales, discussed ties between Manila and Hanoi.

WPR: What is the recent trajectory of Philippines-Vietnam relations, and to what extent are the South China Sea territorial disputes driving closer ties?

Carl Thayer: Philippines-Vietnam relations have been on an upward trend since October 2010, following the state visit to Hanoi by Philippine President Benigno Aquino and subsequent visits to the Philippines by Vietnam’s president in 2011 and prime minister in 2014.

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