Sweden has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing security cooperation with the Philippines, adding to a growing list of European countries seeking defence ties with Manila amid concern over growing Chinese assertiveness in the region.
Analysts say the move reflects a fundamental shift in the regional power balance, marked by a “changed China” and the practical necessity for Europe to secure vital trade routes in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.
The latest diplomatic push came after Lieutenant Colonel Anders Ingenar Nikanorsson, Sweden’s non-resident defence attaché, reportedly paid a courtesy call to Philippine air force leaders on Tuesday.
The Philippine Air Force said on Wednesday that Nikanorsson “conveyed Sweden’s interest in establishing a permanent defence attaché in the Philippines”. […]
France is currently finalising a visiting forces agreement with the Philippines, which would allow troops from both countries to set foot on each other’s soil. Similarly, Italy’s defence cooperation pact with the Philippines was “progressing positively”, Italian Ambassador to the Philippines Davide Giglio told the Manila Bulletin newspaper in September. […]
This was particularly true for Sweden’s Saab AB, which “has been competing with several companies for the PAF’s coveted multi-role fighter project, with its JAS-39 Gripen a seeming front runner alongside US-based Lockheed Martin’s F-16”.
Parada also confirmed the commercial aspects of deepening ties, noting that a separate 2024 MOU signed by Stockholm provides alternative financing schemes and technology transfer for the acquisition, building on the 2023 defence pact. Läs artikel