AFP, Manila

The Philippines and Vietnam yesterday agreed to strengthen defence ties to help bolster maritime security in the region and maintain peace in the disputed South China Sea.

The Southeast Asian countries are among the nations in the region -- including China -- to lay claims to the Spratly chain, which sits near vital shipping lanes and is reputedly rich in minerals.

It comes just days after China’s military drove away a Dutch navy vessel it accused of “illegally intruding” into the area around the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. The Netherlands insisted that its frigate had been in international waters.

After a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart To Lam in Manila, Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos said the partnership has become “increasingly important” as the region navigates uncertainty “marked by geopolitical fragmentation”.

The nations renewed a 2010 defence agreement, establishing that both would maintain “delegation exchanges for security and defence matters”, and step up “information exchange”.

They also agreed to collaborate on law enforcement to prevent transnational crime, including cyber scams, illegal migration, human trafficking, illegal gambling, among other challenges.