MANILA, Philippines – Germany and the Philippines agreed on Sunday to quickly finalize a defense pact that would allow for joint military training and possible sales of German weapons to deal with security threats, including China’s growing aggression in the South China Sea, which Manila’s defense chief said was “the only reason to tensions’ and conflicts in the disputed waters.

China has long claimed much of the entire sea route, a key global trade and security route, and vowed to defend its territorial interests at all costs.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the proposed defense cooperation arrangement he and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius discussed in talks in the capital Manila could be completed as early as this year given current security concerns. Both underscored the need for countries to press diplomatic efforts under the UN Charter to achieve “just and lasting peace” from Ukraine to Asia’s flashpoints.

Without mentioning China by name, both defense chiefs expressed in a joint statement their strong opposition to “any unilateral attempt to advance expansive claims, especially through force or coercion.” They also “reaffirmed their firm commitment to freedom of navigation, overflight and other peaceful uses of the sea in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

The Philippines and its longtime treaty ally, the United States and other Western countries, have often accused China of undermining these international principles with Beijing’s increasingly hostile actions, including the use of powerful water cannons, military-grade lasers, and jamming and other dangerous maneuvers against Philippine ships in the disputed South China Sea. Meanwhile, the administration of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has moved to expand security alliances with friendly Asian and Western governments.

Beijing has accused Washington of creating trouble and threatening stability in the region by increasing the deployment of US forces, warships and jets and working with countries such as the Philippines to try to contain China’s rise.

The proposed defense agreement would allow for joint training, possible arms sales, security information and closer cooperation between the German and Philippine armed forces, the defense chiefs said.

In response to a question at a news conference with Pistorius, Teodoro said: “There is only one reason for the conflict in the South China Sea. … It is China’s illegal and unilateral attempt to appropriate most, if not all, of the South China Sea as their internal water.”

“That is the only reason for tension,” he added.

“The Philippines is not provoking China. We do not seek war, but we are ordered not only by our constitution but as a duty to our countrymen to protect whatever areas, whether jurisdiction or rights, rightfully belong to the exclusive benefit of the Filipinos. ” Teodoro said.

Pistorius underlined Germany’s support for a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea on historical grounds. The decision was based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS.

“This sentence remains valid without any exceptions,” Pistorius said. “We must do more than stand up for UNCLOS. We must contribute to de-escalation. This is only possible if we keep all channels of communication open including those with China.”

After an alarmingly violent confrontation on June 17 in the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea between Chinese forces, armed with knives, axes and improvised spears, and Philippine Navy personnel, China and the Philippines reached a temporary agreement last month to prevent further clashes that could trigger a major armed conflict in the hotly contested atoll.

A week after the deal was closed, Philippine government personnel transported food and other supplies to Manila’s territorial shipping outpost at the shoal, which has been closely guarded by Chinese coast guard and navy ships, and no confrontations were reported.

However, the long-standing territorial disputes between the Asian neighbors, which also involve Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, have continued along with a bitter war of words.