Gilberto Teodoro, right, exchange signed documents with Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Marc Innes-Brown, left, while Anthony Albanese looks on in Manila on Nov. 15.
Photographer: Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images
Australia and the Philippines signed a new defense pact Sunday, boosting military cooperation as the US allies face a more assertive China in the Asia-Pacific region.
The two nations signed the Defence Cooperation Agreement in a ceremony at an Australian naval vessel docked in Manila. The deal will enhance military infrastructure development and maritime awareness and information sharing, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said after the signing.