Thousands of U.S. and Philippine troops began joint exercises in the north and west of the Philippines on Tuesday after China conducted large-scale drills around Taiwan and a Chinese ship collided with a Philippine patrol boat, UNN reports citing AFP.
Details
The annual Kamandag, or Venom, exercise is aimed at protecting the northern coast of the Philippines' main island of Luzon, which is about 800 kilometers from self-governing Taiwan.
The joint US-Philippine exercise comes after Chinese maneuvers around Taiwan and a few days after a collision between a Chinese and Philippine vessel in the South China Sea. The Philippine government announced that the BRP Datu Cabaylo, a civilian patrol vessel, sustained minor damage on October 11 when it was "intentionally hit" by a "Chinese maritime police" ship. The crew was unharmed and later directed the vessel to Titus.
This was the latest in a series of clashes between the two countries on the strategic waterway, which is almost entirely claimed by Beijing.
The commander of the Philippine Marine Corps, Major General Arturo Rojas, emphasized at the opening ceremony in Manila on Tuesday that the Kamandag exercise was long planned and "had nothing to do with what is happening in the region.
The exercise will reportedly focus on live-fire exercises along the northern coast of Luzon, while other activities will be conducted on the tiny Philippine islands between Luzon and Taiwan.
"This is a coastal defense doctrine. The doctrine states that a potential aggressor can be directed to our territory," Brigadier General Vicente Blanco, the Philippine exercise commander, told reporters.
"We are not training to join the fight (for Taiwan)," he added.
US Marine Corps spokesman Colonel Stuart Glenn said the drills are aimed at helping the United States and its allies respond to "any crisis or contingency.
The western Philippine island of Palawan, which overlooks the South China Sea, will also host part of the exercise.
The U.S. and the Philippines are bringing in just over a thousand participants each, while smaller numbers of Australian, British, Japanese, and South Korean forces are also participating.
According to the press kit, the planned activities also included an amphibious landing and chemical and biological weapons defense exercises.
Китай розпочав військові навчання навколо Тайваню14.10.24, 02:33