MANILA (UPDATED) — Philippine and Australian vessels are holding a Maritime Cooperative Activity to boost interoperability after the two countries upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership in September.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. announced the start of the activity on Saturday, calling it "a practical manifestation of the growing and deepening strategic defense partnership between our countries."

He said the exercises are meant to train military personnel to work together on maritime security and domain awareness and to test doctrines and existing protocols on these.

This, he said, would support rules-based international order and a "more peaceful, secure, and stable Indo-Pacific region."

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In a statement from Australia's defense ministry, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the activity demonstrates the two countries' commitment "to a peaceful, secure and prosperous region, where sovereignty and agreed rules and norms are respected."

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The Philippines will be represented by the BRP Gregorio del Pilar and BRP Davao del Sur, and by Philippine Air Force surveillance aircraft.

They will be training with the HMAS Toowoomba and a Roayl Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance plane in waters within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, Australia's defense ministry also said.

The announcement comes following the successful joint patrols between the Philippines and the United States in the West Philippine Sea that concluded Friday.

The US and Australia have agreements with the Philippines governing visiting forces, including equipment and personnel.

The Philippines is also currently negotiating a similar agreement with Japan.

The long-anticipated Philippine patrols with the United States and Australia follow a spike in tensions between Beijing and Manila over territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea.

Beijing's expansive claims over the waterway approach the coasts of other countries -- more than a thousand kilometres from the nearest major Chinese landmass.

It has ignored an international tribunal ruling that its claims have no legal basis.

China deploys boats to patrol the sea and has built artificial islands that it has militarised to reinforce its claims.

Marcos warned on Saturday that the Chinese military had "started to show interest" in building bases on reefs that were "closer and closer to the Philippine coastline". -- With a report from Agence France-Presse.

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