Philippines, US to hold drills on islands facing South China Sea, Taiwan

THE PHILIPPINES and the United States will carry out annual military exercises next month in key locations including Philippine islands facing the South China Sea and Taiwan, as tensions with China continue to simmer.

The exercises, called Balikatan or “shoulder-to-shoulder,” will move away from sprawling military camps in the countryside to locations in northern and western regions, Philippine Army Colonel Michael Logico told a news briefing on Tuesday.

The move is consistent with the shift in the country’s focus from internal to external defense.

This year’s exercises, which a Philippine diplomat previously said could be larger than last year’s 17,000-strong drills, will also focus on cybersecurity training and “information warfare.”

Batanes, the island province closest to Taiwan, could again be one of this year’s exercise venues, Mr. Logico said, but he stressed the activities would not focus on the democratically governed island.

“It is natural for us to exercise in those areas because if it’s part of a Philippine territory, it is where we wave our flag, these are the areas we defend,” he said.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory despite the island’s rejection, and routinely stages air and naval military operations near the island.

The exercises will also be held in areas of Palawan province in the South China Sea where frequent maritime run-ins between Manila and Beijing have occurred in the past year.

“These are locations where we can adequately perform joint operations,” Mr. Logico said.

The Philippines on Tuesday accused China’s coast guard of carrying out “dangerous maneuvers” that led to a collision between its ship and a Philippine wooden boat during a resupply mission for Philippine troops at Second Thomas Shoal.

Like last year, Mr. Logico said militaries from both countries would conduct a shipsinking exercise.

Ties between Washington and Manila have warmed under President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., who last year almost doubled the bases American troops can access under a defense pact.

Australian troops will also join the exercises while the French Navy are participating for the first time, Mr. Logico said. France and the Philippines are both seeking authority to negotiate a military agreement.

Philippine Armed Forces spokesman Francel Margareth Padilla said the exercises would be held from the third week of April to the first week of May. —