Thousands of US and Philippine naval forces have begun a 10-day joint exercise in the northern and western Philippines, a day after China conducted huge military exercises surrounding Taiwan.
The biennial exercises, known as “Poison,” focus on defending the Philippines’ northern coastline on the island of Luzon, which is around 800 km from the self-governing island of Taiwan.
Beijing considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to take control of the island. China described Monday’s drills as a “stern warning” to “separatist” forces on the island. During the exercises, China’s troops surrounded Taiwan.
The joint military exercises between the United States and the Philippines come after a series of confrontations between China and the Philippines over reefs and seas in the South China Sea that Beijing claims are its own.
During the drills’ opening ceremony, Philippine Navy Commander Major General Arturo Rojas stated that they “have nothing to do with what is happening in the region.”
The exercises will be concentrated north of Luzon’s coast, with other actions taking place on the small Philippine islands that lie between Luzon and Taiwan.
“We are not training to join the war [for Taiwan],” Rojas informed the crowd.
Meanwhile, Colonel Stuart Glenn, a spokesperson of the US Navy, stated that the exercises are intended to help the US and its partners respond “to any crisis.”
The exercises will also take place on Palawan, an island near the disputed South China Sea.
Members of the Australian, British, Japanese, and South Korean navies are also taking part in these exercises.