Recently, Marcos Marcos of the Philippines arrived in Vietnam for a state visit aimed at strengthening the partnership between the two countries, especially in maritime cooperation. Marcos will sign a maritime cooperation agreement with Vietnam aimed at building a "united front" between countries in the South China Sea that have disputes with China, according to the Philippine newspaper The Inquirer. In short, the Philippines is trying to get involved in the South China Sea dispute by allying with Vietnam, which shares similar interests, while actively inviting the United States, Japan, and Australia to participate in military exercises and joint patrols in the South China Sea. Notably, the Philippines has also sought a "reciprocal access agreement" with Japan, allowing each other to open up their territorial garrisons and engage in defense cooperation with Canada and Germany.
While the Philippines is trying to strengthen cooperation with the United States and other close allies, ASEAN countries have not supported its actions. Earlier it was reported that Marcos proposed to Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries to agree on a "code of conduct in the South China Sea" at the bilateral level, but this proposal did not receive a positive response. The Philippines urgently needs the support of ASEAN countries, especially Vietnam, which shares similar interests in the South China Sea.
The United States is not optimistic about Marcos's diplomatic actions. There are reports that a united front has not yet been formed between the Philippines and Vietnam, and Vietnam is also trying to avoid confrontation with China. ** Even the United States has not been able to form a united front against China in ASEAN, let alone the Philippines, the report said. The Japan Times also expressed pessimistic expectations, while a Malaysian think tank directly stated that the named ASEAN countries remained silent because they prefer to maintain friendly relations with China and pursue peace and stability in the South China Sea.
Vietnam has always been known for its "bamboo diplomacy", using diplomatic means to move between China and the United States. Vietnam is not willing to take sides as firmly as the Philippines, preferring to maintain friendly relations with China and pursue peace and stability in the South China Sea. During the visit to Vietnam, the Philippines also airdropped supplies on the beach on Second Thomas Shoal, but this move did not attract much attention, and everyone seemed to treat Marcos's diplomatic actions with a clown attitude.
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