In a bold diplomatic and military move, India hosted Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with full state honours—while simultaneously dispatching warships for joint patrols in the South China Sea. INS Delhi, INS Shakti and INS Kiltan sailed alongside Philippine vessels inside Manila’s exclusive economic zone, triggering a subtle yet unmistakable warning to China. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs reaffirmed support for freedom of navigation, calling the waters part of the “global commons.”
The joint drill coincided with Marcos’ five-day India visit, where the two nations signed a landmark Strategic Partnership agreement to boost defence, maritime cooperation, disaster relief and cyber security. While India didn’t name China, Beijing’s rebuke of “third-party interference” left little ambiguity. The coordinated political hospitality and military manoeuvres signal India’s rising Indo-Pacific assertiveness and a strategic alignment with one of China’s fiercest regional rivals—firmly placing New Delhi in the emerging anti-China security web across the Indo-Pacific.
