AdvertisementAdvertisementAn Indian Navy sailor stands with Philippine and Indian flags at the international port of Manila on Aug 1, 2025. (File photo: AFP/Ted Aljibe)04 Aug 2025 02:49PM (Updated: 04 Aug 2025 02:54PM) Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInRead a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST MANILA: Indian Navy warships have begun patrolling areas of the disputed South China Sea with their Philippine counterparts for the first time, Manila's military said on Monday (Aug 4), as President Ferdinand Marcos departed for a state visit to New Delhi.The two-day sail includes three Indian vessels and started on Sunday, a day before Marcos left on a trip that will include talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The Philippines has heightened defence cooperation with a range of allies over the past year after a series of clashes in the South China Sea.Beijing claims nearly the entirety of the waterway despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.India's naval vessels, including the guided missile destroyer INS Delhi, arrived in Manila for a port visit late last week.The patrol "started yesterday afternoon, then it's ongoing up to this moment ... the activity at the moment is replenishment at sea," Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Salgado told AFP.While in India, Marcos is expected to sign pacts in such fields as law, culture and technology, according to Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Evangeline Ong Jimenez-Ducrocq, but all eyes will be on any potential defence agreements.Before departing on Monday, Marcos praised the two countries' "steadfastness in upholding international maritime law, including the UNCLOS", the UN treaty granting an exclusive economic zone within 370km of a country's shores.US to build Philippine boat repair facilities near contested South China SeaChinese ship runs aground off Philippines-occupied island in disputed South China SeaThe Philippines has previously purchased BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles from India, a weapon which has a top speed of 3,450km per hour.India, which has engaged in border clashes with China in the Himalayas, is a member of the so-called Quad, a group that includes fellow democracies the United States, Japan and Australia.Beijing has repeatedly alleged that the four-way partnership, first conceived by late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was created as a way of containing China.Source: AFP/dcNewsletterMorning BriefSubscribe to CNA’s Morning BriefAn automated curation of our top stories to start your day.Sign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST