Australian and Philippine troops held exercises near flashpoint South China Sea waters claimed by China. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos emphasized the significance of regional cooperation between the countries.
Australian and Filipino troops held exercises on Friday near flashpoint South China Sea waters claimed by China, with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos hailing them as an “extremely important” example of close cooperation.
China deploys hundreds of coast guard, navy, and other vessels to patrol and militarize reefs in the South China Sea, which it claims almost entirely despite an international ruling that its position has no legal basis.
Friday’s joint drills took place at a naval base about 240 kilometers (149.13 miles) east of Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground China seized from the Philippines in 2012 after a tense standoff.
“Considering that there have been so many events that attest to the volatility of the region, this kind of exercise, this kind of close strategic cooperation between countries around the region, is extremely important,” Marcos told reporters.
“It is an important aspect of how we prepare for any eventuality,” he said of the drills he watched with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles.
The air, sea, and land drills, the first major joint exercise by the two countries, simulated retaking an enemy-controlled island.
About 1,200 Australian soldiers and 560 Filipino marines stormed a beach during the exercise, arriving in amphibious assault vehicles, by parachute and aboard US Osprey aircraft.
Two advanced Australian F-35 fighter jets provided close air support, and Australian warships secured the surrounding waters.
Marles and his Filipino counterpart Gilberto Teodoro also issued a joint statement on Friday indicating their intent to plan “bilateral joint patrols in the South China Sea… and other areas of mutual interest”.
This week’s exercises come after Chinese coast guard vessels fired water cannon and blocked a Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on August 5th.
Miroslava Salazar, with AFP
