Philippines, Poland share concerns on China's deepening ties with Russia

MANILA, Philippines — Top diplomats of the Philippines and Poland on Wednesday, September 4, voiced serious concern over the deepening alliance between China and Russia amid ongoing regional conflicts, including tensions in the South China Sea.

These points were made during a bilateral meeting between Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, where both officials conveyed their interest in exploring possible partnerships on maritime security and defense cooperation. 

Sikorski's visit is the first by a Polish foreign minister in the Philippines in almost three decades and coincides with the 50th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries. 

During a joint press conference in Makati City, Manalo and Sikorski noted that the security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific amid the maritime conflicts in the South China Sea and the Russia-Ukraine war are “interlinked."

Sikorski warned that Russia’s close cooperation with China represents a broader challenge to the international order. He emphasized that Russia’s actions in Ukraine, including its violation of international treaties, set a dangerous precedent that could inspire similar behavior in other parts of the world.

“International treaties should not be ignored in the way that Vladimir Putin has done by invading Ukraine,” Sikorski said, according to state-run Philippine News Agency.

Sikorski said Poland supports an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific that is “free from any form of coercion."

“Keeping the South China Sea waterways is vital, not only to European supply chains, but also to many other economies dependent on energy resources import," he said, citing that freedom of navigation is a fundamental principle enshrined in the United Conventions on the Law of the Sea.

The two officials also discussed expanding bilateral activities, such as exchanges between Philippine and Polish cast guards and information sharing.  

There are several areas where the Philippines and Poland can cooperate in terms of maritime cooperation, "but also important is our commitment to upholding a rules-based order and the importance of international law,” Manalo said.

Both parties are also considering expanding the two countries' defense cooperation, he added.

“The current international situation in both our regions causes both Poland and the Philippines to make efforts to modernize our armed forces. This creates additional opportunities for cooperation,” Sikorski said.

Amid escalating maritime confrontations with China in 2023, the Philippines deepened its defense cooperation with the United States and other countries, conducting joint military exercises and expanding US soldiers' access to new bases.

In response, China has turned to Russia, who it shares a strong political and economic partnership with. Beijing has been described by NATO members as a "key facilitator" of Moscow's involvement in the war in Ukraine.

In July, China and Russia held joint naval drills in the South China Sea, parts of which are referred to as the West Philippine Sea. China's defense ministry said the exercise was held to "demonstrate the resolve and capabilities of the two sides in jointly addressing maritime security threats and preserving global and regional peace and stability."