By Focus and AFP | 2026-03-30

The Philippines and France have signed an agreement allowing their troops to hold joint exercises on each other's soil, Manila said March 27, as it broadens defense ties with like-minded partners amid rising tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin signed the deal March 26 in Paris.

"The SOVFA [Status of Visiting Forces Agreement] will serve as the primary document to facilitate a wider range of defense cooperative activities between the Philippine and French armed forces in the territory of either country," Manila's Department of National Defense (DND) said in a statement.

Frequent confrontations at sea

The pact comes as the Philippines faces off with much larger China over maritime territory.

Manila and Beijing have had frequent confrontations in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which more than $3 trillion in trade passes annually. Beijing claims that sea in nearly its entirety despite an international ruling in 2016 that its assertion has no legal basis.

Manila and Paris reaffirmed support for a rules-based international order and called for "the peaceful resolution of disputes," while stressing the need to beef up supply chain resilience during crises.

They further reiterated adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the arbitral ruling that threw out China's claim to most of the South China Sea.

The Philippine DND said the agreement would provide "an adequate level of legal protection" for joint activities between the two militaries.

Negotiations on the agreement ended within a year after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. authorized them, with Teodoro calling it a product of "years of trust and confidence" and shared objectives between the two countries.

"We have shared values, shared objectives, and shared visions for both our future and the current generations. So, this is a function of stewardship in several things, in enhancing both our individual and collective defense capabilities," Teodoro said.

Seeking allies outside the region

If ratified by both legislatures, the new SOVFA will serve as the main framework for expanded security cooperation between the Philippine and French armed forces.

Teodoro described the SOVFA as reflecting a broader push for cross-regional defense cooperation. Collaboration need not take the form of joint deployments, he said. Instead, he said, "both of us, perhaps even working separately in areas where we have capabilities and influence for a shared goal and purpose."

The Philippines has secured similar pacts with Japan, Canada and New Zealand during the past two years as it seeks to strengthen security ties beyond its treaty alliance with the United States. France is the first European country to sign such an agreement with Manila.

In the region, France has gradually expanded its security presence. Its navy has taken part in joint drills in the South China Sea alongside Philippine and US forces, while the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle made its first port visit to Subic Bay in February 2025.

The two governments pointed to expanding defense engagement under a December 2023 Letter of Intent, citing regular Franco-Philippine dialogues, delegation visits, educational exchanges, port calls, aerial stopovers and naval and disaster-response training activities.

Both sides acknowledged the "positive development of the cooperation," said the DND. Teodoro and Vautrin reaffirmed their commitment to forging a stronger partnership.