Britain could station troops in South China Sea under deal with Philippines

By Sean Rayment

British forces could be deployed within 200km of Taiwan to help defend the island in the event of a Chinese invasion, the British government has signalled.

The UK is reportedly keen to strike a deal with the Philippines that would allow British forces to be hosted there, in a sign of Britain’s increased focus on the Indo-Pacific.

The announcement from Manila comes amid China’s growing aggression in the South China Sea, where it claims virtually every feature as its own, despite staunch opposition from several countries, including the Philippines.

Gilberto Teodoro Jr, the Philippines’ defence secretary, said: “That is the clearest expression that a country might have to support our claim in the West Philippine Sea” – referring to the South China Sea by the name preferred in Manila.

Lord Coaker, a British defence minister, presented a letter from John Healey, the Defence Secretary, conveying interest in negotiating this agreement, known as a Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA), to Mr Teodoro.

A SOVFA is a type of defence treaty that provides a legal framework for the Philippines to host foreign troops, whether for joint military exercises or other activities.

While discussions of the agreement have centred on deterrence in the South China Sea, the deal could also place the UK on Beijing’s doorstep in the event of a war over Taiwan.

China claims Taiwan as its own – a position strongly rejected by the democratically elected government in Taipei – and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control.

If China were to launch an attack, the Philippines, which has islands fewer than 200 kilometres south of Taiwan, would almost certainly be pulled into the conflict.

Filipino troops risk being drawn into a confrontation with China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea and Beijing’s claim on Taiwan.

For this reason, the Philippines and the US have focused on the northern islands, the closest of which are the Batanes chain, in their joint military drills.

During exercises held in May, the US Marine Corps deployed the NMESIS missile system, known as a “ship-killer”, to Batanes as a major show of force.

While the US and the Philippines have a decades-old defence treaty, a SOVFA with Britain could signal that the UK is taking a step towards a similar partnership.

Britain would be only the second European country to pursue such an agreement, after France, which opened talks on a comparable deal earlier this year.

The agreement would mirror those already in place between the Philippines and the US, as well as Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

In 2024, Britain and the Philippines signed a memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation for the next five years, aimed at strengthening bilateral ties in the defence sector, including joint maritime exercises.

The UK has pivoted towards the Indo-Pacific in recent years as the threat from China has grown.

Earlier this year, it launched Operation Highmast, an eight-month deployment led by the UK’s carrier strike group, HMS Prince of Wales, through the region, working alongside allies and partners.