US, Philippines start largest-ever war games as defence ties deepen amid China tensions
- Nearly 9,000 Filipino and American soldiers will take part in the 12-day Balikatan drills across the main island of Luzon
- Philippine military chief General Andres Centino said the training reflected the ‘deepening alliance’ between the two countries
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Nearly 9,000 Filipino and American soldiers will take part in the 12-day training event across the main island of Luzon, which is usually an annual affair but was cancelled or curtailed during the pandemic.
Philippine military chief General Andres Centino said at the opening ceremony in Manila that the largest round of the Balikatan war games reflected the “deepening alliance” between the two countries.
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US Major General Jay Bargeron said the “friendship and trust” between their respective armed forces would allow them to “succeed together across the entire spectrum of military operations”.
The exercises will cover maritime security, amphibious operation, live-fire training, counterterrorism, and humanitarian help and disaster relief.
Since taking power in 2016 Duterte has moved closer to China, but has faced resistance from the Philippine public and concern in the military wary of its territorial ambitions in the waters.
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Philippine coastguard sends strong warning to Chinese vessels during South China Sea patrol
Trillions of dollars in trade pass through the strategic sea and it is thought to contain rich petroleum deposits, making it a frequent source of regional friction.
China has ignored a 2016 ruling by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration that its historical claim is without basis.
It has reinforced its stance by building artificial islands over some contested reefs and installing weapons on them.
But he walked back on the decision last July, as tensions between Manila and Beijing over the South China Sea spiked following the detection of hundreds of Chinese boats parked at a reef off the Philippines.
That came weeks after Manila confronted Beijing’s ambassador over a Chinese navy ship “lingering” in the Philippines’ archipelagic waters.
The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to media requests for comment on the war games or the Scarborough Shoal incident.
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The exercises are being held in the shadow of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The US and its allies are providing defensive weapons to Kyiv and imposing crippling economic sanctions on Moscow.
Duterte, whose six-year term ends in June, has expressed concern that Manila was “involved” in the conflict because of its security alliance with Washington.
That includes a mutual defence treaty and permission for the US military to store defence equipment and supplies on several Philippine bases.
