The exercise takes place under the name “Balikatan” (“shoulder to shoulder”).
(Foto: Bloomberg)
Peking China accuses the US of stoking tensions in the Asia-Pacific region. The United States would move military to the region, the Defense Ministry said in Beijing on Thursday. The regional powers should beware of an escalation, it said with a view to joint US-Philippine maneuvers.
More than 17,000 Filipino and American soldiers participate in the annual exercise, dubbed “Balikatan” (“shoulder to shoulder”). The highlights were exercises at sea. On Wednesday, warships from both countries destroyed a decommissioned corvette with volleys of rockets. The three-week exercises end on Friday.
The US and the Philippines want to renew the 1951 Treaty of Mutual Assistance. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will therefore meet US President Joe Biden in Washington next week.
The Beijing government has warned that the alliance formed by the two countries must not interfere in naval disputes or violate China’s territorial sovereignty and security interests. The situation in the region has been tense for some time because of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.
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2023-04-27 11:50:59
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