Major US-Philippines military exercises begin. Beijing doesn’t like this at all
Nearly 17,000 Philippine and American troops kicked off a three-week joint combat exercise in the Philippines on Monday , including maritime drills in the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing have clashed over territorial claims.
France and Australia, which have strengthened defense ties with Manila in the face of China's aggressive behavior in the South China Sea, will join the maritime exercises that will be conducted outside Philippine territorial waters for the first time.
The annual Balikatan or “shoulder-to-shoulder” exercises, which will take place from April 22 to May 10, are taking place amid escalating diplomatic discussions and maritime clashes between the Philippines and China, with the use of high-pressure cannons water and heated verbal exchanges.
Officials said the drills are not aimed at any external aggressor, but will improve interoperability between their militaries.
“The exercises in these locations are based on international order and international law and are within your sovereign rights and responsibilities. We are conducting exercises that are normal,” the US said.
Beijing's growing pressure in the South China Sea has alarmed Manila, rival claimants to the disputed maritime territory and other states operating there, including the United States which has reiterated its commitment to defend the Philippines against armed aggression in the South China Sea .
China claims most of the South China Sea, which is a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship-borne trade. Beijing has criticized the joint exercises, saying they exacerbate tensions and undermine regional stability.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in 2016 that Beijing's extensive claims to the sea have no basis in international law. China rejects the ruling and has built military facilities on the disputed atolls to bolster its claims.
Photo celebrating the start of the exercises
During the joint exercises, U.S. troops and their counterparts in Manila will simulate the retaking of enemy-occupied islands in the country's northernmost islands, near Taiwan, and in the western province of Palawan overlooking the South China Sea.
The drills will involve about 16,700 troops from both sides, slightly fewer than last year's 17,600, which were the largest Balikatan exercises since they began in 1991.
In response to the planned exercises, China's Foreign Ministry warned that the Philippines should be "sober enough to realize" that bringing in outside countries to show their strength in the South China Sea and provoke a confrontation will only exacerbate tensions and undermine regional stability.
“Attempts to bring in external forces to safeguard so-called security will only lead to more insecurity for themselves,” ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a scheduled news conference, urging both countries to stop provoking.
China didn't take it well
Chinese state media have criticized the exercises , which would have a "destructive impact on regional security", even though they are now held regularly. It must be said that this is the first time that the exercises have also taken place in international waters, which are co-disputed by Beijing.
The Philippines' Foreign Ministry on Thursday said its decision to strengthen ties with Japan and the United States was a "sovereign choice" and urged China to "reflect on its actions" in the South China Sea.
“The source of tension in our region is well known to all,” the ministry said in a statement.
“It is China's excessive maritime claims and aggressive behavior, including militarization of claimed areas, that undermine regional peace and stability and increase tensions.”
Logico said U.S. troops and their Philippine counterparts will simulate the retaking of islands occupied by hostile forces in the country's northernmost islands, near Taiwan and in the western province of Palawan overlooking the South China Sea.
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The article Major US-Philippines military exercises begin. Beijing doesn't like this at all . It comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/partono-le-grandi-esercitazioni-militari-us-filippine-questo-non-piace-per-niete-a-pechino/ on Tue, 23 Apr 2024 09:00:05 +0000.