In light of rising tensions with China in the South China Sea, Manila's army chief announced on Wednesday that the Philippines and the United States will conduct their largest joint military exercises since 2015.
The Philippines is denouncing China's aggressive moves in the disputed waterway, including its use of a military-grade laser against one of Manila's vessels earlier this month. The exercises highlight better ties with the United States under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
US, Philippines Agree to Conduct Military Exercises
According to army head Romeo Brawner, the annual "Balikatan" exercises will take place in the second quarter and include more soldiers than the 8,900 who participated in them last year. To voice his grave worry over China's activities in the South China Sea, the majority of which China claims as its territory, President Marcos summoned China's envoy on Tuesday, as per Global Nation.
Australia, Japan, and the United States have expressed their concerns and support in response to China's alleged legitimate use of a laser on a Philippine ship on February 6. As part of Washington's efforts to discourage China's growing aggressiveness in the South China Sea and conflict over Taiwan, the Philippines has increased access to its military sites.
Taiwan, an island off the coast of China, claims to be an independent nation, but China insists that it is a breakaway province that it wishes to once again govern. In recent months, China has stepped up its threats to move to annex Taiwan. However, the military pact is an extension of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which was signed in 2014.
The US is now able to access and maintain equipment at four more military bases in the Philippines thanks to a new agreement inked this week. The deal also mandates that the US contribute 82 million dollars in infrastructure improvements at the five active facilities.
The United States will now have access to nine base locations in the Philippines, marking its largest military presence there in the last 30 years. The agreement comes after a declaration that the US would give the Philippine military $100 million in October 2022.
A stern diplomatic protest was submitted to the Chinese Embassy by The Department of Foreign Affairs that condemned the stalking, harassing, risky maneuvers, directing of military-grade laser, and illegal radio challenges by the Chinese ship.
According to Philippine officials, the incident happened on February 6 when the Chinese coast guard ship blasted powerful lasers to prevent the Philippine patrol ship BRP Malapascua from getting close to Second Thomas Shoal in order to supply Filipino personnel stationed there.
China is in dispute with other claimants because its claim to the South China Sea is essentially absolute, according to Business Mirror. In the past, Australian military aircraft on patrol in the South China Sea and other regions in the Pacific are rumored to have been subjected to laser assaults by Chinese naval forces.
Philippine-US Military Alliance
Tensions have remained despite the Philippines' former president Rodrigo Duterte and his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing in January, making a closer military cooperation between the Philippines and the US necessary.
Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, reported on Monday that a Filipino coast guard ship had illegally entered Chinese waters. He asserted, without delving into specifics or mentioning the use of laser, that Chinese coast guard warships behaved at the scene in accordance with Chinese law and international law, professionally and with restraint.
Per Fox News, Price claimed that the provocative and dangerous behavior of the Chinese coast guard prevented the Philippines from conducting its "lawful operations" near Second Thomas Shoal.
Asserting that Washington was bound by the Mutual Defense Treaty to defend the Philippines, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked China to adhere by an arbitration ruling from 2016 that rejected Beijing's broad territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Beijing has long contested the ruling and is still disobeying it. Price repeated on Monday that the legally binding ruling highlighted the absence of any legitimate maritime claims by China over the Second Thomas Shoal. Over 200 diplomatic complaints about China's provocative actions in the disputed waters were made by the Philippines alone in 2022.
Related Article: China Accused of Sparking Conflict with Philippine Coast Guard
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