The Latest on Southeast Asia: Marcos to India, To Lam to South Korea

Last week, Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Communist Party of Vietnam general secretary To Lam visited India and South Korea respectively. A theme of both visits was the strengthening of economic and defense relationships outside of the U.S.-China rivalry. Diversification of trade ties is receiving increasing attention across the region in the weeks since U.S. president Donald Trump declared revised tariff rates on goods from nearly every country.  

Marcos visited New Delhi from August 4 to 8, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the Philippines and India. On August 5, Marcos and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi elevated the Philippines-India relationship to a strategic partnership, to be guided by a plan of action for deepening the bilateral relationship between 2025 and 2029. The two leaders also oversaw the signing of 13 bilateral agreements, with a particular emphasis on defense and maritime cooperation, which they affirmed would play a core role in the strategic partnership. In formally declaring the strategic partnership, the leaders noted concerns regarding “the situation in the South China Sea particularly with regard to coercive and aggressive actions that impact on regional peace and stability,” though they refrained from mentioning China by name.   

Coinciding with the visit, the Philippines and India staged joint naval exercises in the South China Sea on August 5-6. This was the first time that the two countries had staged a naval exercise together. Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Romeo Brawner affirmed that the exercises went well and indicated that Filipino forces would engage India’s military in more joint maneuvers in the future. 

To Lam, meanwhile, traveled to Seoul from August 10 to 13, becoming the first foreign leader to visit South Korea since President Lee Jae Myung took office in June. The two countries signed 10 memoranda of understanding, including on nuclear and renewable energy, financial policies, and science and technology. The visit’s emphasis was on improving economic relations. Lam confirmed that the two nations agreed to expand bilateral trade to $150 billion by 2030, almost double the $86.8 billion reported in 2024. In addition to trade, the two leaders vowed to strengthen collaboration in national defense, infrastructure, and critical minerals, as well as improving cultural, educational, and people-to-people exchanges The two leaders emphasized the importance of Vietnam and South Korea increasing military ties, hoping that this cooperation improves regional security.  

Lauren Mai is a Program Coordinator and Research Assistant for the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. For more political, economic, and security analysis on the region, check out our blog series, The Latest on Southeast Asia. To hear the latest news on the region and hear from Southeast Asia experts, listen and subscribe to the Southeast Asia Radio podcast on any streaming platform.