Some 16,700 Filipino and US troops began annual joint military exercises in the Philippines on Monday, amid tensions with China over Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the region.
Lieutenant General William Jurney, the US Marine Corps Pacific commander, said at an opening ceremony in Manila the drills are going to “show the people of the Philippines” that the US and Filipino military cooperation has gotten “better.”
Ahead of the drills, Philippine Colonel Michael Logico told reporters “The purpose of armed forces, why we exist, is really to prepare for war.”
It’s a direct challenge to China’s expansive claims" in the region, Philippine political analyst Richard Heydarian told DW.
The US is a treaty ally of the Philippines and serves as a guarantor of its security in case of a potential conflict in the South China Sea.
Earlier in April, President Biden pledged to defend the Philippines from any attack in the disputed maritime territory, as he hosted the first joint summit with Manila and Tokyo.
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