US-Philippines Launch Largest Combat Exercises in Decades Amid Tensions with China

The United States and the Philippines have commenced their largest combat exercises in decades on Tuesday, which will include live-fire drills and a boat-sinking rocket assault in waters across the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. The annual drills called Balikatan, which means "shoulder-to-shoulder" in Tagalog, will involve more than 17,600 military personnel and will run until April 28.

The joint exercises between the long-time treaty allies come as tensions rise in the region due to China's increasing aggression in the disputed sea channel and against Taiwan. The Biden administration has been strengthening alliances in the Indo-Pacific to better counter China, including in a possible confrontation over Taiwan.

The exercises will feature naval maneuvers, live-fire drills, and amphibious landing exercises that will test the troops' readiness to respond to threats in the region. The drills will take place in several locations, including the South China Sea, the Sulu Sea, and the Taiwan Strait.

The boat-sinking rocket assault, in particular, is expected to inflame China, which has been increasingly assertive in the disputed waters. However, Philippine spokesman for Balikatan, Col. Michael Logico, clarified that the drills are not intended to provoke China. "We are not provoking anybody by simply exercising," he said in a press conference ahead of the start of the maneuvers.

The US has been increasing its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region to counter China's aggressive actions in the region. Last week, the US and Japan released a joint statement, stating that "China's behavior, including its unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, poses destabilizing challenges."

The Balikatan exercises have been held annually since 1981 and aim to enhance the interoperability and readiness of the US and Philippine military forces. This year's drills mark a significant display of American firepower in Asia and a show of force to China amid rising tensions in the region.