US, Philippines launch military exercises near waters disputed by China

Thousands of US and Philippine troops as well as Australian forces have launched war games in waters near the South China Sea, areas of which are the subject of a territorial dispute with China, amid warnings from Beijing against meddling in the row.

The 12-day annual drills, dubbed Balikatan (Shoulder-to-Shoulder), began on Monday with the participation of some 5,000 US troops, 4,000 Philippine soldiers, and 80 Australian forces.

China’s official news agency Xinhua said on Monday that, “The... exercises cap Manila’s recent attempts to involve outsiders in [a] regional row.”

“However, a provocation so fear-mongering and untimely as such is likely to boomerang on the initiators,” the Xinhua report further read.

Lieutenant-General John Toolan, the commander of US Marine Corps forces in the Pacific, told reporters in the Philippines’ capital, Manila, that the war games would help the two countries enhance maritime security and preserve regional stability.

“Our alliance is strong. The United States is committed to this relationship and these are not empty words.... peace in Southeast Asia depends on our cooperation,” Toolan said.

The Philippines is preparing to host US troops in at least five military bases, including one facing disputed islands in the South China Sea, under an agreement with Washington.

While China has warned other countries against any action that could harm China’s “sovereignty” over the South China Sea, the US and the Philippines insist that the war games are not explicitly aimed at China.

SS