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Philippines, US conduct joint drills as Marcos says South China Sea row ‘more dire than before’
- The patrols are likely to irk China, which has warned the Philippines against activities with the US that it says could stoke regional tensions
- China claims most of the South China Sea through a ‘nine-dash line’ that cuts into territory of rival claimants Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam
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Joint maritime and air patrols in the South China Sea between the Philippines and the United States military were launched on Tuesday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr said, describing it as a “significant initiative”.
The Philippine leader’s announcement comes amid a rapid strengthening of ties this year between the two defence treaty allies, including a decision to almost double the number of Philippine bases accessible to the US military, including some facing Taiwan.
“This significant initiative is a testament to our commitment to bolster the interoperability of our military forces in conducting maritime and air patrols,” Marcos said on social media platform X.
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The patrol would take place off of the island of Mavulis, according to Eugene Cabusao of the Northern Luzon command. The island is the northernmost point of the Philippines, located about 100km (62 miles) off Taiwan.
The announcement comes a day after Marcos told a forum in Hawaii the situation in the South China Sea had become more “dire than it was before”, with the Chinese military inching closer to Philippine coastline.
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The patrols are likely to irk China, which has warned the Philippines against activities with the United States that it says could stoke regional tensions. China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the exercise.
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