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Philippines Plans More Sea Activities With Vietnam After Drills

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Philippine Coast Guard personnel on the lookout during a resupply mission for the BRP Sierra Madre, in the disputed South China Sea, on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. Both China and the Philippines lay claims over the shoal while at least three other neighbors also claim the larger Spratly Islands chain it nestles in. (Lisa Marie David/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- The Philippine Coast Guard said it is planning to send one of its ships to Vietnam later this year to boost maritime cooperation after the two countries held joint exercises this week amid sea disputes with China.

In a Facebook statement on Friday night, the PCG said it will reciprocate Vietnam for its “gesture of goodwill” in sending a Coast Guard ship to Manila for an inaugural port visit. The two nations’ coast guards conducted maritime exercises on search-and-rescue operations, according to the statement.

Vietnam and the Philippines have been locked in disputes with China over parts of the South China Sea. The two Southeast Asian nations have recently submitted separate information to the United Nations, asserting exclusive rights to resources in the disputed sea.

In June, Vietnam offered to hold talks with the Philippines about overlapping maritime claims.

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