The Philippines-Vietnam Strategic Partnership moved into a higher gear after Vietnamese leader To Lam’s state visit to Manila. On June 1, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that the two countries would elevate relations to an enhanced strategic partnership, giving the visit a concrete outcome beyond ceremony.
The upgrade came with signed agreements on defense cooperation, information technology, tourism, and education. To Lam also said both sides agreed to strengthen security and defense cooperation, while Marcos said the two countries share an interest in regional peace, stability, and a rules-based order.
Vietnam is not just another ASEAN neighbor. Vietnam is the Philippines’ only strategic partner in ASEAN and its largest rice supplier. That puts the relationship at the intersection of security, trade, and food supply.
What Manila and Hanoi Agreed
Marcos said peace, stability, freedom of navigation, and freedom of overflight in the South China Sea remain “non-negotiable.” He also said both governments remain committed to peaceful dispute resolution grounded in international law, including UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral award, which rejected China’s sweeping historic-rights claim within the nine-dash line.
Vietnam supported the Philippines’ arbitration case against China at The Hague in 2014, supporting the tribunal’s jurisdiction and rejecting China’s nine-dash line claim.
The visit also widened the agenda beyond maritime issues. Defense and security cooperation drew attention, but the inclusion of technology, tourism, education, and food security showed that Manila and Hanoi want a broader relationship.
Philippines-Vietnam Strategic Partnership: From 2015 to 2026
The 2026 upgrade builds on a relationship that had already taken a strategic turn more than a decade ago. In 2015, the Philippines and Vietnam moved to upgrade ties amid growing concern over China’s activities in disputed waters.
At the time, both sides looked at stronger military contacts, joint naval activities, training, and exercises. Vietnam also supported the Philippines’ arbitration case against China at The Hague.
The latest upgrade is the next step in a relationship shaped by shared interests, even if the two countries still have overlapping claims in parts of the South China Sea.
Security, Rice, and Regional Resilience
Vietnam supplies a large share of Philippine rice imports, so relations with Hanoi affect more than diplomacy. They also touch prices, supply stability, and household concerns in the Philippines.
The security side has also become more concrete. In 2024, the Philippine and Vietnamese coast guards held their first joint exercise despite overlapping claims. The drills focused on practical responses such as firefighting, search and rescue, and medical assistance.
That kind of cooperation matters because coast guards often handle the first moments of tension at sea. They are also the agencies most likely to deal with fishermen, patrols, and emergency situations before a dispute becomes a wider crisis.
