Philippines, Canada Sign Visiting Troops Deal

Philippines' Secretary of National Defence Gilberto Teodoro (R)with Canadian Minister of Defence David McGuinty hold their signed documents of the visiting forces agreement after their bilateral meeting in Manila on November 2, 2025. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)

The Philippines signed a visiting forces agreement with Canada on Sunday, the latest in a series of pacts aimed at countering Beijing’s assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea.

The Philippines and China have engaged in frequent clashes in the crucial waterway, which Beijing claims in nearly its entirety despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

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by Agence France-Presse

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