MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. is "looking forward" to signing an agreement that will strengthen maritime cooperation with Vietnam, Malacañang said on Friday, as fresh tensions flared in the South China Sea.

Marcos underscored the importance of maritime cooperation between the two countries during a meeting with outgoing Vietnam Ambassador to the Philippines Hoang Huy Chung, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said.

“Now that we are going to start discussions on the agreement that we have between the Philippines and Vietnam, I think it is a very, very important – it will be a very, very important part of our relationship and it will bring an element of stability to the problems that we are seeing now in the South China Sea,” Marcos was quoted as saying by the PCO.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually, with competing claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Beijing has ignored a 2016 ruling by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration that found its historical claim over most of the sea to be without basis.

A maritime agreement between the Philippines and Vietnam would make it easier for the two countries to face “common challenges” in the waterway, Marcos said.

“I really believe that we have to make these bilateral agreements. I think you will not be surprised and I think I’m not giving away any confidence that we will like to have these bilateral agreements as well with the other countries within ASEAN,” the President said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

• How good PH-Vietnam ties may impact China’s behavior in South China Sea

The Philippines and Vietnam earlier agreed to work on a code of conduct in the South China Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

The Philippines accused the China Coast Guard Sunday of firing water cannon at its vessels in the disputed South China Sea, describing the actions as "illegal" and "dangerous".

China deploys hundreds of vessels to patrol the South China Sea and swarm reefs. Its coast guard and navy ships routinely block or shadow Philippine boats in the contested waters, Manila says.

Manila last week accused China Coast Guard ships of blocking and firing water cannon at Philippine coast guard vessels and charter boats carrying food, water and fuel for Filipino troops stationed on Ayungin Shoal.

• South China Sea confrontation hits China-Philippines ties

— With reports from Agence France-Presse; Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News

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