Canada and the Philippines are in the final stages of negotiating a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) that would allow both countries to deploy troops on each other’s soil, according to Canada’s envoy to Manila, David Hartman.
Strengthening Military Cooperation
Hartman stated that the agreement would deepen defense collaboration and allow Canada to participate in large-scale joint military exercises, particularly those conducted between the Philippines and the United States.
📌 “We are in the final stages of negotiations. We hope for the signing and ratification of the agreement by both governments before the end of 2025,” he told AFP.
The deal comes as Manila strengthens military alliances amid China’s increasing aggression in the South China Sea.
Expanding Military Partnerships
The Philippines already has Visiting Forces Agreements with the United States and Japan and is in talks with France and New Zealand for similar defense pacts.
Meanwhile, Canada’s navy has participated in multiple freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea alongside the US, Australia, Japan, and the Philippines, challenging Beijing’s sweeping territorial claims.