Philippines set to sign visiting forces deal with Canada [Video]

The Philippines and Canada have negotiated a deal for the deployment of troops, Manila said Friday, it what will be once signed the latest security pact in the face of increasingly tense confrontations with China.

Manila’s defence department said it and Canada had “successfully concluded negotiations”, but gave no timetable for when a deal would be signed.

“This agreement will establish a framework for increased cooperation”, the statement read, saying it would foster “closer collaboration between defence and military establishments”.

The deal “underscored the Philippines’ commitment to bolstering international partnerships and promoting regional security”, it added.

Manila already has similar pacts with the United States, Australia and Japan, against a backdrop of China’s actions in the disputed South China Sea.

China claims the crucial waterway in nearly its entirety, despite an international ruling that its claims have no legal basis.

Manila concluded negotiations on a similar agreement with New Zealand …