Philippines and US to carry out military maneuvers on islands off Taiwan and the China Sea

Philippines It is U.S will hold their annual joint military maneuvers in April on the offshore islands South China Sea and possibly Taiwankey areas in the tensions that both countries maintain with China in the Pacific, as announced this Tuesday by the Philippine Army.

“Batanes (the northernmost islands of Philippines) is one of the locations we are considering” for the execution of “Balakatan”, what the exercises are called, according to what the colonel of the Philippine Army said today Michael Logic in a press conference reported by local media GMA News.

READ TOO: US Supreme Court blocks controversial Texas law authorizing police to expel migrants

“We will also carry out exercises west of Palawan and air defense maneuvers in Downtown Luzon”added, guaranteeing that this year the maneuvers will move from their usual training areas to “key areas, especially in the north and west” From Philippines.

Batanes, in the north of the country, on the Strait of Luzónis the closest island province of the Philippines to Taiwan (about 350 kilometers), an autonomous island that Beijing does not rule out invading and that Washington would defend in principle, while Palawan is located in South China Seawhere China It is Philippines territories are disputed.

France and Australia They will also participate in the exercises, as Logicalwhich this year will also include the Philippine Coast Guard and the archipelago’s National Police.

The Philippine Coast Guard is at the center of rising tensions in andthe South China Sea in between Beijing It is Manilaand today accused Chinese ships of carrying out “dangerous maneuvers” which resulted in a collision this Tuesday between vessels from the two countries in a disputed area of ​​the Sea of south of china.

In turn, the Coast Guard China assured that its ships took measures against “illegal intrusion” of Philippine vessels in waters adjacent to the known atoll in Philippines as Ayungin is at China as Ren’aiof the archipelago Spratabout which Beijing It is Manila They have territorial claims.

The tensions between Philippines It is China increased after the coming to power of the Philippine president Fernando Marcos Jr. last year, which strengthened his country’s traditional military alliance with USAwith which it maintains a mutual defense treaty.

Last year, Manila practically doubled the number of military bases it gives access to US troops, including one in Cagayan (a region of which Batanes is part) and another on the island of Balabac (Palawan).

O “Balitakan“Last year the largest joint military exercises in history took place, bringing together more than 17,000 soldiers (12,000 American and 5,000 Filipino troops), almost double that of 2022.

Source: Elcomercio

jack

I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.