Canada and the Philippines, both staunch critics of China’s increasingly coercive actions in the disputed South China Sea, have signed a key defense agreement that will allow their forces to hold joint battle-readiness drills.

Top security officials say China and North Korea’s support for Russia in its war against Ukraine has exposed how lines between regions have blurred, and the need for a global approach toward defense.

Two Philippine officials say that American and Filipino security officials have agreed to keep a U.S. mid-range missile system in the northern Philippines indefinitely to boost deterrance despite China’s expressions of alarm.

Indo-Pacific commander Adm. Samuel Paparo says the U.S. military is open to the possibility of escorting Philippine ships in the disputed South China Sea, depending on consultations under the allies’ 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.

The Philippine defense chief has ordered all defense personnel and the 163,000-member military to refrain from using digital applications that harness artificial intelligence to generate personal portraits, saying they could pose security risks.