Germany and the Philippines this month agreed to enhance defense ties and boost joint activities, including rearmament, as several Southeast Asian states increasingly look to Europe to diversify their security arrangements away from traditional partners like the US and Russia.

The new deal will expand cooperation to include cybersecurity, armaments, logistics and peacekeeping duties.

The "arrangement concerning defense cooperation" was signed in Berlin by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

The Philippines, a US treaty ally, has secured a slew of new defense deals over the past 12 months, including an agreement with New Zealand last month. It expects to sign a similar defense deal with Canada this year.

In December, Manila signed a reciprocal access agreement with Japan. It will soon begin negotiations with France for a visiting forces agreement, which will allow French troops to be stationed at Philippine bases, similar to the agreement the Philippines has with the US.

The Philippines and several other Southeast Asian states have accused Chinese vessels of taking "aggressive actions" towards them over disputed territory in the South China Sea. At the same time, there are growing doubts about the US security guarantees under the Trump administration.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that Beijing's claims had no legal basis after the Philippines initiated proceedings. China........

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