Overview
- Defense chiefs Gilberto Teodoro and Catherine Vautrin signed the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement in Paris on Thursday.
- The deal allows reciprocal training and deployments in each other's territory and sets legal protections for joint activities, pending approval by both legislatures.
- It is the Philippines' first visiting-forces pact with a European country, broadening partners beyond the U.S., Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and Canada.
- The announcement followed what Manila called an unsafe pass by a Chinese missile frigate near Thitu Island, with video showing the ship closing to under 10 meters from BRP Benguet.
- France has taken part in regional drills before, including a 2025 port call by the carrier Charles de Gaulle to Subic Bay, underscoring growing European involvement in Indo-Pacific security.