Philippines, US Launch Largest-Ever Joint Military Drills

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Facts

• The US and the Philippines on Tuesday kicked off their biggest-ever joint military exercises amid the rising rivalry between Washington and Beijing in the disputed South China Sea.¹
• With about 12K US troops, 5.4K members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and more than 100 Australian forces, the number of soldiers involved in the annual drills, dubbed Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder), has doubled from previous years, the Financial Times reported.²
• The drills, which are scheduled to run through April 28 and include a live-fire exercise in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely, present a unique opportunity to demonstrate 'the strength and readiness of the Philippine-US security alliance,' the US military stated.³
• The first Balikatan drills under Philippine Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who sought to revamp ties with Washington, follows a three-day military exercise by China simulating targeted strikes and a blockade of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.⁴
• Last week, the Philippines announced the sites of four new military bases to be used by US forces under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). The deal — criticized by Beijing as part of Washington's push to 'encircle and contain China' — expands US access to nine Philippine bases.⁵
• Ahead of the joint military exercises, Marcos on Monday addressed China's EDCA concerns, saying the pact is aimed at bolstering the Philippines' defensive capabilities and that his administration will not allow the military bases to be used for any offensive moves.⁶

Sources: ¹Nikkei asia, ²Ft, ³Al Jazeera, ⁴Bangkokpost, ⁵France 24 and ⁶The japan times.

Narratives

• Anti-China narrative, as provided by The wire china. The largest US-Philippine military drills to date and the agreement to grant the US military access to four new military bases are the direct results of the Chinese regime's hegemonic posture. Beijing's increasingly assertive behavior has led to the Philippines gradually emerging as a major hub of military cooperation among Southeast Asian democracies. Washington benefits strategically from this trend while tensions continue to rise — this is China's own doing.
• Pro-China narrative, as provided by Chinadaily.com.cn. The US is deliberately fomenting regional turmoil and division, and by making itself a tool for Washington's strategic interests in the South China Sea and the wider Indo-Pacific region, the Philippines is jeopardizing its own interests. Instead of holding ever-larger military exercises with the US and giving them access to more military bases, Manila should turn to its Southeast Asian neighbors and work with China and fellow ASEAN countries on stability and security in the region.

Predictions