South China Sea: Philippine coastguard to join US military drills for the first time
- Six vessels would participate in the Balikatan exercise that involves a simulation of an armed recapture of an island near the South China Sea
- Manila has accused China’s coastguard and other boats of frequently shadowing and blocking its supply ships in the disputed waters
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The Philippine coastguard said on Thursday it will participate for the first time in an annual joint military exercise conducted by the Southeast Asian country and the United States.
More than 16,700 Filipino and American troops will take part in this year’s drills, which kick off on Monday.
Beijing claims almost the entire waterway and sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary.
While many nations, including the US, do not officially acknowledge Taiwan as an independent state, they oppose any use of force to alter the existing status quo.
The US has been deepening its defence cooperation with regional allies, including the Philippines, as it seeks to counter China’s growing assertiveness.
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Philippine coastguard (PCG) spokesman Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said on Thursday it would be the first time Philippine coastguard vessels join the drills dubbed Balikatan, which means “shoulder to shoulder” in Tagalog.
Previously, PCG boats had patrolled the waters around the exercises to prevent interlopers.
Six vessels would participate, Balilo said, including four 44-metre multi-role response boats and two larger patrol vessels.
The coastguard’s special operations force would also “undertake joint interoperability exercises” with the Philippine navy and their counterparts from Australia, France and the US.
There have been several minor collisions between Philippine and Chinese coastguard vessels in recent months, raising fears of a wider conflict that could involve the US and other allies.
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There have also been multiple incidents involving the China coastguard water-cannoning Philippine vessels, at times injuring Filipino crew members.
The Balikatan drills will involve a simulation of an armed recapture of an island off the western province of Palawan, near the South China Sea, and the sinking of a vessel off the northern province of Ilocos Norte, several hundred kilometres from Taiwan.
For the first time, the drills will go beyond the Philippines’ territorial waters, which extend about 22km (13.6 miles) from its coastline, Philippine Colonel Michael Logico told reporters on Wednesday.
The US coastguard will also take part in the exercise.
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Meanwhile, Manila’s foreign ministry said the country’s decision to ramp up ties with Japan and the US is a “sovereign choice”, urging Beijing to “reflect upon its own actions” in the South China Sea.
“The source of tension in our region is well known to all,” the foreign affairs department said in a statement on Thursday.
“It is China’s excessive maritime claims and aggressive behaviour, including its militarisation of reclaimed features, that are undermining regional peace and stability and raising tensions,” it added.
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The statement was in response to China’s criticism over the recent trilateral summit between US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr.
The three leaders have jointly expressed serious concerns about China’s “dangerous and aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea”.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a briefing last week Beijing opposes “forming exclusive circles in the region”.
Additional reporting by Reuters
