French aircraft carrier visits PH; West PH Sea drills seen

Flags of the Philippines and France.

MANILA, Philippines — The French aircraft carrier docked in the country for the first time on Friday in a move seen to further bolster bilateral ties amid ongoing negotiations for a visiting forces deal between Manila and Paris.

Aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle arrived in Subic Bay along with two multi-mission destroyers, an air defense destroyer, and the auxiliary oil replenishment ship Jacques Chevallier.

The aircraft carrier’s arrival is part of the framework of the letter of intent signed by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and his counterpart, French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu, in December 2023.

READ: PH, France begin talks on visiting forces deal— Teodoro

“CLEMENCEAU 25 is a unique opportunity to strengthen Franco-Philippine relations,” the French Embassy in Manila said in a statement on Friday.

Col. Xerxes Trinidad, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public information chief, on Friday said the visit builds on “growing defense ties between the two nations.”

Trinidad also said the French Navy would join the AFP in its drills in the West Philippine Sea over the weekend for the second time.

“The French Navy forces are expected to conduct combined naval and air exercises alongside the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Air Force in the West Philippine Sea (WPS),” Trinidad said.

In 2024, Paris, for the first time, participated in a four-day joint patrol in the WPS during Manila and Washington’s annual Balikatan exercises.

Such drills had been done amid Beining’s continuous aggression based on its sweeping claims in almost the entire South China Sea, including most of the WPS. However, Beijing’s claims have been invalidated by a 2016 international tribunal ruling favoring Manila.

French frigate Bretagne also visited Manila in May 2024.

READ: France keen on live fire drills with PH Navy

Manila and Paris have increased military engagement despite a lack of an official visiting forces agreement (VFA).

The VFA enables a mechanism for shared military training and operations and larger joint exercises between two countries.

To date, the Philippines has a VFA with the United States and a status of the visiting forces agreement or SOVFA with Australia.

READ: West Philippine Sea: Japan-PH military deal ‘none of China’s business’ – Teodoro

Manila and Tokyo signed a Reciprocal Access Agreement, which is akin to a VFA, but the respective congresses of both countries have yet to ratify this treaty. With reports from Sheba Barr, INQUIRER.net trainee