<span style="color: #222222;">Vietnam and the Philippines have agreed to boost cooperation among their coastguards and to prevent untoward incidents in the South China Sea. This was announced during a state visit to Hanoi by Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.<br />''<br />''The two memoranda of understanding on security covered "incident prevention in the South China Sea" and "maritime cooperation" among coastguards. This was informed by a Vietnamese official at the country's presidential palace.</span><br />''<br />''Both Hanoi and Manila have had run-ins with China's coastguard in the past, but altercations have been frequent in the last year between vessels of China and US-ally the Philippines, adding strain to deteriorating relations.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">Before meeting Vietnam's President Vo Van Thuong, Mr Marcos said Vietnam was "the sole strategic partner of the Philippines" in Southeast Asia and stressed that maritime cooperation was the foundation of that relationship.</span><br />