India and the Philippines staged joint sail and naval exercises in the disputed South China Sea for the first time, a high-profile military deployment that will likely antagonise China. Beijing has separate territorial disputes with the two Asian democracies and a long-running regional rivalry with New Delhi.
Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner said on Monday (August 4, 2025) the two-day joint naval sail and exercises which began on Sunday (August 3, 2025) have been successful so far and expressed hopes that Filipino forces could engage India’s military in more joint maneuvers in the future.
China’s military conducts patrols in South China Sea, warns Philippines
Asked if Chinese forces carried out any action in response, Mr. Brawner said without elaborating that “we did not experience any untoward incident but we were still shadowed. We expected that already.”
“In past joint patrols with other foreign navies, Chinese navy and coast guard ships have kept watch from a distance,” according to the Philippine military.
