Despite South China Sea clashes, Chinese and Filipino police boost cooperation

The Philippine National Police have agreed to strengthen intelligence sharing and combat international crimes with their Chinese counterparts, despite ongoing tensions in the South China Sea. During a meeting on Tuesday, Philippine Police Chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. hosted Wang Xizhang, the executive director general of Fujian’s Public Security Department.

Both sides stressed the importance of addressing evolving security threats through dialogue, intelligence sharing, and capacity-building initiatives. They also committed to promoting regional peace and public safety through closer cooperation. Nartatez stated that there would be no safe haven for transnational criminals and that both nations would work closely to track, investigate, and prosecute offenders.

The partnership will focus on combating transnational crime, cybercrime, kidnapping, and other shared security concerns. Philippine police chief emphasized that the knowledge and best practices gained through this collaboration will be shared with their operating units to better equip officers in investigating transnational crimes, responding to cyber threats, and strengthening intelligence gathering.

The meeting comes amid a growing dispute over territory in the South China Sea, with joint naval and air drills held by the People's Liberation Army near the disputed Scarborough Shoal. Tensions flared in July when vessels from both sides clashed repeatedly in the region. In July 2022, China's coastguard claimed it had driven away two Philippine government vessels near Scarborough Shoal, a controversial coral atoll.

Beijing confirmed for the first time on Thursday that two coastguard officers died in a vessel collision near the shoal a year ago, when a China Coast Guard cutter collided with a Chinese naval destroyer while both pursued a Philippine coastguard vessel.