Germany, Philippines sign defence agreement

MANILA (Reuters) - Germany and the Philippines have agreed to enhance defence ties and boost joint activities as Manila builds up a range of alliances to strengthen its position in a longstanding dispute with China in the contested South China Sea.

Philippine defence secretary Gilberto Teodoro and German counterpart Boris Pistorius signed an "arrangement concerning defence cooperation" in Berlin on Wednesday, agreeing to expand cooperation to include cyber security, defence armament and logistics and United Nations peacekeeping, Manila's defence ministry announced on Thursday.

The deal follows a visit by Pistorius to Manila last year where he and Teodoro committed to boosting long-term relations between their militaries.

The Philippines' defence cooperation arrangement with Berlin adds to a growing list of defence deals beyond its traditional ally the United States.

Last month, the Philippines signed a defence agreement with New Zealand for expanded military cooperation, and a similar deal with Canada is expected to be signed soon.

A reciprocal access deal with Japan was ratified in December, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the start of negotiations with France for a visiting forces agreement.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, a vital trade artery, despite overlapping maritime claims by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, angering its neighbours.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague said Beijing's claims had no legal basis. China rejects that decision.

Pistorius said in Manila last August that the "ruling remains valid, without any exceptions".

In September last year, two German warships went on a rare transit in the Indo-Pacific to demonstrate Berlin's commitment to freedom of navigation.

(Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by John Mair)

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