By Jay Ereno and Lisa Marie David
MANILA (Reuters) – Crews of Philippine and Vietnamese vessels fired water cannons at a boat on Friday, simulating a search-and-rescue operation, in the first joint exercise of its kind between the coast guards of the two countries that have clashed with Beijing in the South China Sea.
The 90-meter-long Vietnamese vessel CSB 8002, which arrived at the port of Manila on Monday, participated in firefighting, rescue and medical care simulation exercises together with the Philippine offshore patrol vessel BRP Gabriela Silang.
The exercises are the latest cooperation between countries that are embroiled in a long-running dispute with Beijing over territory in the South China Sea or are concerned about freedom of navigation and the activities of Chinese ships on the important trade route.
“Our exercise is more of a humanitarian purpose,” Lawrence Roque, commander of the BRP Gabriela Silang, told reporters on board.
“We hope for more such activities because the sea is big and many will need the support of the coast guard.”
The drills with Vietnam came after the Philippines concluded two days of naval exercises with the armed forces of Australia, Canada and the United States on Thursday, the first involving the four countries, which Manila said were aimed at promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, which it asserts through the deployment of extensive coast guard forces in areas that include the exclusive economic zones of its neighbors.
China’s coast guard has been accused of aggression and of disrupting the fishing and energy activities of countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, testing relations and raising fears of escalation.
China typically claims that its coast guard acts professionally and lawfully to protect its territory from intruders.
(Written by Neil Jerome Morales; edited by Martin Petty)
