The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is getting the backing of yet another nation—the United Kingdom—as its top diplomat flew to Manila to pursue maritime cooperation amid challenges the Philippines is facing with regards to the South China Sea.

Aimed at assuring the Philippines of UK's commitment in various areas, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly's visit came just after the first-ever quadrilateral exercise among the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia off the Philippine waters.

Cleverly's trip started on Tuesday, August 29, with meetings with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo.

"The Foreign Secretary will also visit the Philippines Coast Guard to discuss cooperation on maritime security, counter terrorism and environmental protection," the British government said on its website.

Cleverly's assurance of support would boost the Philippine's bid to fight for sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea, a part of the bigger South China Sea that China claims as its own, as Filipino personnel patrolling the vast ocean face harassment.

Disruptive incidents continue to occur despite the 2016 Arbitral Ruling and international law that affirm Manila's claim over the West Philippine Sea.

"During our meeting today, we also discussed pressing and evolving regional and international issues of mutual concern," Manalo said.

"The Philippines and the UK are like-minded partners through our shared values of democracy and the rule of law, our unwavering commitment to the rules-based international order, and our pursuit of peace and stability," he added.

In his visit to the PCG, Cleverly would "reiterate the necessity of upholding the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in the interests of global stability and the protection of maritime trade routes," the UK government said.

On August 24, the PCG pulled off a successful joint naval drills with American, Australian and Japanese troops.

Photos released by the Australian Defense Ministry showed various assets participating in the drills in the West Philippine Sea. Assets included fighter jets, combat ships and destroyers from Philippine, US, Australia and Japan navies.

The conclusion of the quadrilateral drills was celebrated in Manila by envoys of the participating countries.

"Around 60 percent of global shipping passes through the Indo-Pacific region, directly benefiting households and businesses in the UK and worldwide," the UK government said, highlighting the region's importance for London.

"As set out in the Integrated Review Refresh, the Indo-Pacific is of critical importance to the UK’s future security and to the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the UK’s economy," it added.

Cleverly is also set to sign a Statement of Intent to upgrade the UK-Philippine Enhanced Partnership in his visit.

The Philippines is garnering support from the international community in its territorial fight over the West Philippine Sea as it marks the 7th year of the arbitral ruling.

India recently joined a chorus of nations calling out China's aggression and incursion into the West Philippine Sea, a part of the Philippine exclusive economic zone that Beijing claims to be its own.

On August 22, the Indian Coast Guard signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on enhanced maritime cooperation with its Philippine counterpart.

Around 20 other countries have also already backed the Philippines in the fight for sovereignty over the waters still contested by China.

​Meanwhile, the proposed joint maritime patrol between the Philippines and China is also looking "murky" as Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff questioned the sincerity of the Chinese side.