^{The Balangiga Bells. File Photo from The Star/Krisjohn Rosales}

In his speech marking the return of the Balangiga bells, United States defense secretary, Jim Mattis emphasized the need to deepen the “respect” between the two allies, the Philippines and the United States. Seen as either war booty or as relics of a bloody period, the return of the bells mark an end to a heavily disputed period between the allied countries. President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines has used the bells to needle the Americans, going even so far as asking for their return in his State of the Nation Address in 2017.

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President Xi Jinping’s two-day state visit to Manila (November 20-21) was considered a milestone in Philippines-China relations. While depth still requires more work, the increasing breadth of the ties was demonstrated with 29 cooperation documents signed ranging from trade, investment and economic cooperation, infrastructure, agriculture, finance, information and communications technology, education, and culture. This provides much of the substance behind the elevation of the ties to a “Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation.” The visit reinforced continuity, downplaying of disputes and expansion of practical areas of cooperation. It also saw both countries’ attempt to remedy setbacks in some earlier agreed projects.

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While Hanoi appreciated important achievements in the concerted efforts to manage the South China Sea issue, especially with the adoption of a draft negotiation text on the Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea at the 51st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, the situation in the disputed waters is still characterized by complexity, uncertainty, and unpredictability. Addressing Vietnam’s 30th Diplomatic Conference in August 2018, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong noted that rapid and complex changes with potential unforeseeable risks in the South China Sea have posed new challenges to the country’s dual tasks of safeguarding national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and jurisdiction rights in line with international law, while preserving a peaceful and stable environment in the region.

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Philippine-Australia Dialogue: Security Dimensions of the Comprehensive Partnership

Summary

This policy paper provides an assessment of converging security concerns and interests between the Philippines and Australia within the framework of the Philippine-Australia Comprehensive partnership. The insights presented in this paper reflect the views and analyses of experts who participated in the “Philippine-Australia Dialogue: Security Dimensions of the Comprehensive Partnership” held in Manila last June 2018. Key areas of discussions focused on regional security architecture, maritime security and cooperation, counterterrorism, and cybersecurity. The overall findings conclude that continuous dialogue between Australia and the Philippines is essential. Moving forward, Track 1.5 and Track 2 interactions offer opportunities for Australia and the Philippines to continuously collaborate in the formulation and evaluation of policies to address common challenges and achieve shared goals and interests. Given the shifting power structures and evolving security threats in the region, it is recommended for both states to explore elevating their partnership to a strategic level.

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