The US-Philippines joint military exercise was held in the disputed South China Sea. For the first time, Philippine and US Coast Guard ships participated in the exercise on Tuesday. Taipei Times reported.
The Philippine Armed Forces said the exercise was held off the coast of Palawan and Occidental Mindoro. The Philippine Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and the US Coast Guard cutter ‘Stratton’ and a US Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft participated in it.
The ‘Maritime Cooperative Activity’ (MCA) was the second of this year and the sixth of the activities that began in 2023. The exercise included communication exercises and rescue operations exercises.
“Joint operations like the MCA help modernize our military capabilities and strengthen our defense partnerships to protect our national and regional maritime interests,” said Gen. Romeo Browner, chief of staff of the Philippine Armed Forces.
Relations between China and the Philippines are tense over the South China Sea, a region that is home to $3 trillion in annual commercial shipping. Taiwan also claims the area.
China claims most of the area, although an international arbitration court ruled in 2016 that Beijing’s claim was unreasonable under international law. China does not accept that ruling.