MANILA >> The Philippine and Indian navies have sailed together for the first time in the South China Sea, officials said today, as President Ferdinand Marcos left Manila for New Delhi for a state visit.

India and the Philippines have staged joint naval exercises in the disputed South China Sea for the first time, a high-profile military deployment that antagonized China. Beijing has separate territorial disputes with the two Asian democracies and a long-running regional rivalry with New Delhi.

Indian Navy warships have begun patrolling areas of the disputed South China Sea with their Philippine counterparts for the first time, Manila’s military said Monday