Manila The Philippines and Vietnam agreed to hold joint war games in the contentious South China Sea, a local paper said.

The agreement was forged when Philippine Navy Flag Officer in Command Vice Admiral Alexander Pama and his staff held a meeting with Vietnam People's Navy chief Admiral Nguyen Van Hien and Vietnam People's Army head General Do Ba Ty met in Vietnam from March 11 to 14, the Inquirer said.

The two countries will also hold joint patrols along common maritime borders in the South China Sea (called in the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea) where the two countries have overlapping claims.

"This visit is expected to provide opportunities for the conduct of joint maritime exercises in the West Philippine Sea (northeast of Vietnam) and other common maritime domains following proper diplomatic channels," said a statement of the Philippine Navy.

The two navies will be guided by standard operating procedures as they hold joint naval projects in Southeast Cay and the Northeast Cay Island, said the statement, adding this was spelled out in a memorandum of agreement signed by the two navy heads last October.

The Philippines has claimed Northeast Cay Island, calling it Parola Island, 34 kilometers northwest of Pag-asa Island, the five-island chain claimed by the Philippines in the Spratly Archipelago.

Vietnam has claimed Southwest Cay Island (referred to by the Philippines as Pugad Island).

The two navy heads also discussed the establishment of a communication hotline between the operations center of the Philippine Navy and the Vietnam People's Navy; sharing of shipbuilding expertise.

China, Taiwan, and Vietnam claim the whole of the South China Sea while the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei claim some parts of the resource-rich Spratly Archipelago.

Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam belong to the 10 member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

China wants to negotiate unilaterally with claimant countries, but ASEAN wants a multilateral negotiation to resolve overlapping claims in the contested area.

China has been against the inclusion of the United States in solving the contested claims on the South China Sea.