The Philippines and Australia are expected to conduct joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea as Canberra is committed to its "long standing presence" in the high seas. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Thursday, May 18, said Australia is open to cooperate with its partners in the Indo-Pacific "to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight" amid China's aggression in the South China Sea, which other countries see as a threat to the peace and stability. Wong said Australia "wants to keep working with the Philippines" with regard to joint maritime patrols. "The Deputy Prime Minister of Australia..., in his visit here in February, spoke about the importance of increased cooperation. including increased combined maritime activity such as joint patrols," she said in a press conference in Manila. "Our departments are discussing the best pathway to take this forward," she added. In fact, Wong bared her country's plans for further joint training activities. "And as we speak, our defense forces are conducting a joint military exercise called Kasangga...where we are learning from you, and you are learning from us," she said. Meanwhile, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo said trilateral military cooperation among the Philippines, Australia and Japan "are certainly under consideration." "We look forward to discussing with Australia and our other partners, Japan, and even with perhaps the United States, on possible modes of cooperation, we are certainly planning to take forward these discussions in the very near future," Manalo added.