Manila: As the longtime allies work to counter rising Chinese assertiveness in the region, the Philippines and the US on Tuesday began their largest-ever joint military exercises.
The annual exercises, known as Balikatan, or "shoulder to shoulder" in Filipino, are being participated in by close to 18,000 soldiers. This year, for the first time, one of the drills will take place in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely.
The exercises come after a three-day Chinese military exercise that simulated targeted strikes and a blockade of democratic, self-governing Taiwan, which Beijing considers to be part of its territory, came to an end on Monday.
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Nearly 300 kilometres (180 miles) from Taiwan, military helicopters will land during Balikatan on a Philippine island off the northern tip of the main island of Luzon, and amphibious forces will retake another island.
The exercises will be held for the first time under President Ferdinand Marcos, who aimed to deepen ties with the US after his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte derided the alliance.
Col. Michael Logico, the spokesperson for the Philippine exercises, told reporters after the opening ceremony at a military camp in Manila, "We really have to drill and exercise how we are going to retake an island that's been taken away from us in order for us to protect our sovereign territory."
China has become enraged by Manila and Washington's recent decisions to resume joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea and to increase the presence of US forces in the Philippines.
Under the agreement, the US will be able to use four more military facilities in the Philippines, including one close to Taiwan. Due to its closeness to the island, the Philippines might serve as an important US ally in the event of a Chinese invasion.
At a joint news conference on Tuesday, neither army responded to inquiries about the Taiwan tensions or a potential Philippines role in the event that China invaded Taiwan.
China had accused the United States of "endangering regional peace and stability" after hearing about the expanded base access. Huang Xilian, China's ambassador to Manila, stated last week that "countries in this region of the world must uphold strategic independence and firmly resist the Cold-War mentality and bloc confrontation."
The number of participants in the two weeks of Balikatan exercises will be about 12,200 American, 5,400 Filipino, and just over 100 Australian soldiers, which is about double the number from the previous year. Outside the location of the opening ceremony, about 50 left-leaning protesters held a demonstration and demanded that the Philippine government cancel the drills.
The closest Philippine landmass to the Spratly Islands, where Beijing and Manila have competing claims, is the western island of Palawan, where troops will stage an amphibious landing as part of the exercises.
The Americans will also deploy their HIMARS precision rocket system, which has aided Ukrainian forces in fending off Russian invaders, as well as their Patriot missiles, which are regarded as one of the best air defence systems in the world.
According to Philippine Army Maj. Gen. Marvin Licudine, the two armies had originally intended to fire live rounds at sea off the northern province of Ilocos Norte, which is about 355 kilometres from Taiwan's south coast. However, they ultimately had to move it farther down the South China Sea.
He added that the initial location "was not sufficiently prepared" for unloading the required machinery. Less than 300 kilometres lie between the new location and the Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal.
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According to Col. Medel Aguilar, spokesman for the Philippine military, the exercises will improve "tactics, techniques and procedures across a wide range of military operations." The Philippine defence and foreign ministers will meet with their American counterparts in Washington shortly after the opening ceremony in Manila.
