Relationship dossier
Philippines
Vietnam
Relationship assessment
Strategic partnership and regional cooperation alongside overlapping South China Sea claims
Philippines toward Vietnam
+25The Philippine government has strengthened ties with Vietnam through a strategic partnership and bilateral cooperation, including defense and maritime dialogue. The two governments have also coordinated diplomatically on South China Sea concerns, despite overlapping claims.
Vietnam toward Philippines
+25The Vietnamese government has pursued strategic partnership and bilateral cooperation with the Philippines, including defense and maritime dialogue. Vietnam has engaged the Philippines in diplomatic efforts concerning South China Sea disputes, while maintaining its own overlapping claims.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship combines an institutionalized strategic partnership and practical cooperation with unresolved overlapping South China Sea claims. Dialogue and shared concerns about maritime conduct have supported engagement, though they have not removed the underlying disputes.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The Philippines and Vietnam have developed a strategic partnership, with cooperation in trade, defense, and regional diplomacy. Both governments have taken steps to manage South China Sea disputes through dialogue while opposing expansive maritime claims that they regard as inconsistent with international law. These cooperative ties coexist with overlapping claims and occasional maritime friction.
Areas of tension
- Overlapping maritime claims in the South China Sea
- Different positions and interests concerning maritime boundaries and conduct
Key developments
The two countries established a strategic partnership, expanding cooperation across bilateral and regional issues.
The Philippines and Vietnam signed an agreement on preventing and managing incidents in the South China Sea.
Major uncertainties
- The depth and implementation of defense cooperation are unclear.
- The extent of practical coordination on South China Sea incidents is uncertain.