Manila’s significant shift could pave the way for the Philippines, an American treaty ally, to play a bigger role in regional defense if China invades Taiwan.

Despite proclaiming a “one China” policy, Manila has been moving toward greater economic and security cooperation with Taipei.

Beijing’s ire comes one week after a Washington Post report revealed that the Philippines has deepened military exchanges with Taiwan in the past year.

The Philippines is working behind the scenes to enhance its defensive cooperation with Taiwan, the Washington Post reported yesterday. “It would be hiding from the obvious to say that Taiwan’s security will not affect us,” Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro told the paper in an interview on Thursday last week.

The Philippines discreetly bolsters defense ties with Taiwan due to Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. Under President Marcos Jr.'s new policy, military and academic engagements have increased.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Frequent gray-zone c lashes with China in the South China Sea have prompted the Philippines to strengthen its security cooperation with Taiwan.

Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration and the Philippine Coast Guard recently carried out joint patrols of the Bashi Channel, it added. Taiwan also sent observers to a joint US-Philippine-Japan military exercise called Kamandag that took place in the Batanes islands, it said.

The Taiwanese government is seeking to strengthen cooperation with the Philippines including on maritime patrols amid China’s increasing use of gray-zone tactics in the region.

Taiwan's coastguard wants to improve cooperation with the Philippines and conduct joint search and rescue exercises despite tense standoffs in disputed waters in recent months, a senior coastguard ...