MANILA — The European Union on Monday backed the Philippines’ claims in the South China Sea, with European Commissioner President Ursula von der Leyen saying the regional bloc is ready to help the country by "sharing information, conducting threat assessment and building the capacity of your coastguard."

Von der Leyen gave the statement during her visit to Malacañang, where she also described the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated Beijing sweeping claims in the South China Sea as “legally binding.”

• Europe eyes Philippines as Asian security anchor

"The European Union has been very supportive of a free and open Indo-Pacific, because an Indo-Pacific free of the threats of coercion is key to all our stability to our peace, and to the prosperity of our people," she said.

"The European Union underlines that the 2016 award of the arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea is legally binding, and that it provides the basis for peaceful resolving disputes between the parties," she said.

"We are ready to strengthen the cooperation with the Philippines on maritime security in the region by sharing information, conducting threat assessment and building the capacity of your national CoastWatch center and your Coast Guard."

• EU says presence of Chinese vessels endanger peace, stability in South China Sea

“Rising tensions” in the Indo-Pacific is a global concern as “challenges to the rules based order in our interconnected world affect all of us,” von der Leyen said.

“Security in Europe, and security in the Indo-Pacific is indivisible. Our societies pay through higher energy bills through higher food costs,” she said.

“This is why we are concerned about the rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific,” she added.

Watch more News on iWantTFC

Earlier this year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. tried to ease maritime tensions between Manila and Beijing during his state visit to China, where he pushed for the establishment of direct communication lines between the two countries to avoid “miscalculations” in disputed waters.

• Marcos Jr. says looking forward to stronger PH-China ties

Despite his verbal agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chinese vessels have reportedly continued their incursions in the West Philippine Sea, an area that falls between the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

In his second State of the Nation Address, Marcos Jr. underscored that his administration is working to “preserve our territorial integrity, in defense of a rules-based international order.”

Watch more News on iWantTFC