More than 17,000 Filipino and U.S. military personnel began the largest-ever joint military exercise on Tuesday as ties between the two allies thaw over their shared concerns over China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
The expanded annual exercise highlights the improvement in defense relations under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after his predecessor cut back on exercises in an attempt to mend relations with Beijing.
For the first time, the Philippines and the United States will conduct live firing at sea in a three-week exercise codenamed Balikatan, or “shoulder to shoulder.”
“The highlight of the exercise will be a joint live-fire exercise on the coast, the purpose of which is to develop methods, tactics and procedures for joint sea strikes,” Major General Marvin Likudin, head of military exercises in the Philippines, said in his speech. at the launch ceremony.
On Monday, China’s Foreign Ministry criticized the joint exercise, saying the exercise “should not interfere with disputes in the South China Sea, let alone harm China’s territorial sovereignty, maritime rights and security interests.”
The long-planned joint exercise began after China ended a three-day military exercise around Taiwan that included simulated pinpoint strikes and a blockade of the island after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.
Maj. Gen. Eric Austin, acting director of US military exercises, said the Balikatan exercise would demonstrate “that we are ready to respond together to real challenges.”
Relations between the United States and the Philippines, longtime allies, improved significantly under President Marcos, who expanded Washington’s use of military bases in his country in February.
This week, the defense and foreign ministers of the two countries are due to meet in Washington for the first time in seven years.
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