Monitoring Desk
MANILA: The United States (US) and the Philippines will carry out their biggest joint military drills this year since 2015, Manila’s army chief said on Wednesday, amid growing tensions with China in the South China Sea.
The military exercises underscore improved relations with the United States under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and come as the Philippines denounces China’s “aggressive” actions in the disputed South China Sea, including its use of a “military-grade laser” against Manila’s vessel earlier this month.
The annual ‘Balikatan’ war games will be conducted in the second quarter of 2023 and involve more than the previous year’s 8,900 personnel, army chief Romeo Brawner told reporters.
“All of these military exercises that we are doing are in response to all types of future threats, both natural and man-made,” Brawner said.
President Marcos on Tuesday summoned the Chinese ambassador to express “grave concern” over the frequency and intensity of China’s activities in the South China Sea.
China’s use of laser against Philippine’s vessel
China’s use of a military-grade laser against a Philippine vessel on February 6, which its foreign ministry maintains was legal, has sparked expressions of concerns and support from Japan, Australia, and the United States.
The US “will redouble its cooperation with our Philippine ally” to strengthen the Philippine military and defense capabilities of the coast guard’ “as we work together to uphold the rules-based international order,” Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said on Twitter.
The Philippines has granted the US greater access to its military bases as part of the latter’s efforts to block China’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea and growing tension over self-ruled Taiwan.
In 2015, over 11,000 troops from both countries participated in the joint military exercises.
“The military exercises will involve a myriad of activities, not just focused on developing the warfighting capability of both armed forces, and also of the other non-traditional roles such as disaster response and humanitarian assistance,” Brawner said.
