The Philippines has no existing military-to-military engagements with China since the tension increased in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Navy spokesperson for WPS, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Trinidad noted that the hierarchy in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of National Defense dictate the guidance in terms of military engagement with other nations. 

“Currently, subject to, unless there's guidance from higher headquarters, then we will continue our mil-to-mil engagement with any particular country. The guidance is, as of the moment, we have no engagements unless directed otherwise,” Trinidad told the reporters in a press conference on Tuesday. 

Meanwhile, Trinidad lamented China’s continuous disregard for international law and diplomatic norms in its claim over the entire South China Sea (SCS), which encroached on WPS. 

“We have other claimant countries, also not only China and the Philippines. All other claimant countries have been staking their claim in a peaceful manner — they are open to negotiations, to dialogue with the Philippines, except for the Chinese Communist Party,” he said. 

China’s vast claim of the entire SCS overlaps with the Philippines' exclusive rights to the WPS. Other SCS claimants are Taiwan, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

Beijing’s expanded to 10 dashed line claims encompass practically the entire WPS. 

However, the arbitral tribunal ruling on 16 July 2016, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), has declared with finality that the Philippines has full exclusive economic one in the WPS and that it should have sovereignty and sovereign rights of the maritime territory. 

The Philippines and China are both parties to UNCLOS.

The United States is the only country in which the Philippines has a Mutual Defense Treaty. The US forces are conducting various military exercises with their Filipino counterparts, which triggers China to react by saying the Philippines has been pushing provocative actions with the US.