July 31, 2025

India reportedly plans to send warships to join South China Sea patrols next week — a move that American media hailed as "a clear signal" of support for the Philippines in its disputes with China. However, a Chinese analyst said that India's real aim may be to sell arms to Manila and that, while the Philippines invites other countries into drills to counter Beijing, each partner pursues its own agenda — offering little genuine assistance and only complicating regional dynamics.

On Wednesday, Newsweek cited New Delhi Television Ltd. report as saying that Philippine and Indian naval forces will carry out a maritime cooperative activity in the Philippines' "exclusive economic zone" from August 4 to 8. It also noted that the exercise, the first between the two countries since 2021, is set to commence after an August 2 port visit in Manila by four Indian warships.

The Newsweek report cited an analyst as saying that the exercise "sends a clear signal" that "India is signaling to be overtly supporting the Philippines in the South China Sea row with Beijing."

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