The Philippines and Vietnam are charting a “new” and “deeper” trajectory for their defense relationship amid a more volatile regional environment, proving that rival claimant-nations in the South China Sea (SCS) can cooperate civilizedly—a feat that Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. declared is currently “not possible” with Beijing due to a total absence of good faith.

Teodoro met with Vietnamese Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang in Manila on Monday, June 1, to renew the two countries’ Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on defense cooperation.

The meeting was part of the itinerary of the contingent accompanying Vietnamese President To Lam during his official work visit to the Philippines to meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Following the bilateral meeting, Teodoro disclosed that both defense establishments are moving swiftly to elevate their partnership.

“Vietnam is one example, Brunei and Malaysia are other examples too. I mean, we cooperate with each other in several things,” Teodoro told reporters.

“That’s why if there is trust, if there is confidence, and there is no subversive, overt or covert intent to take advantage of one another, then there is no problem. But I cannot say that for China,” he added.

Teodoro explained that Manila and Hanoi’s “enhanced” defense partnership means moving to a level “where we can exchange information on a deeper level, where we can work on activities which were not done before.”

The Philippines and Vietnam have overlapping maritime and territorial claims in the SCS, particularly in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and the East Sea in Hanoi, primarily centering on the Spratly Islands and their surrounding extended continental shelf (ECS).

“Our engagement with Vietnam is strong. This is not to say that we do not have strong relations with other ASEAN countries. We have strong ties with many ASEAN countries, but among the claimant countries, Vietnam is close to us and we understand each other on what the way forward should be, particularly from a defense perspective,” Teodoro said.

The DND chief also drew a sharp contrast between Southeast Asian neighbors and China, which has repeatedly engaged in aggressive maneuvers against Philippine vessels in the WPS.

When asked if the same manageable and rules-based approach used with Vietnam could be applied to China, Teodoro dismissed the possibility under Beijing's current behavior.

"Well, with what they’re showing now, to me it’s not possible. Nothing is impossible but if their government continues to be this way, then I don’t see any good faith,” he said.

“The basis of any manageability or any negotiated settlement is good faith. Is there good faith? That’s a question I pose to the Filipino people. I will not answer it. For me I know the answer, I’ve been articulating the answer. I don’t want to sound a broken record,” he added.

Teodoro added that trust can only be built if nations adhere to international law.

“If you follow rules, yes. The problem is if there are rivalries that do not follow rules and try to use their size, like China, against you. There is mistrust because they do not follow the law, and they are the ones, and they're even angry about it,” he said.