India and the Philippines jointly patrolled areas of the disputed South China Sea for the first time, staging a high-profile naval exercise in waters over which China claims it has sovereign rights.

The Philippine and Indian navies have sailed together for the first time in the South China Sea, officials said on Monday, as President Ferdinand Marcos left Manila for New Delhi for a state visit. The Philippines has conducted "maritime cooperative activities" with foreign navies since late 2023 as part of its push to counter China's expansive claims in the waterway,