MANILA: The militaries of the Philippines and the United States launched joint patrols on Tuesday in waters near Taiwan, officials of the Southeast Asian nation said, a move likely to fan further tension with China.
Security engagements between the treaty allies have soared this year, including a decision to almost double the number of Philippine bases the American military can access, some facing Taiwan, and their largest-ever joint military drill in April.
This week's three-day joint air and maritime exercise was a "significant initiative" to boost interoperability between the two, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.
"I am confident this ... will contribute to a more secure and stable environment for our people," he said on social media platform X.
The drill would start off in Mavulis island, the Philippines' northernmost point, located about 100 km (62 miles) off Taiwan, said Eugene Cabusao, spokesperson for the Northern Luzon command.
It will end in the West Philippine Sea, the name Manila uses for waters in the South China Sea that fall within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The Philippine military said three navy vessels, two FA-50 light combat aircraft and an A-29B Super Tucano light attack plane would participate, while the United States would send a littoral combat ship and a P8-A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.
The news comes a day after Marcos told a forum in Hawaii the situation in the South China Sea had become more "dire", with the Chinese military inching closer to the Philippine coastline.
The patrols, which are likely to irk China, are a sign the Philippines is stepping up its defence posture amid what it described as China's "aggressive activities" in the highly strategic waters, long seen as a potential flashpoint between the United States and China.
"China believes that defense and security cooperation between countries needs to be conducive to regional peace and stability. They should not escalate tensions or undermine trust between countries, still less target any third party," China's Washington embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said.
China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China claims most of the South China Sea on the basis of a "nine-dash line" that stretches as far as 1,500 km (900 miles) south of its mainland, cutting into the EEZs of rival claimants Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Marcos has forged closer ties with Washington since assuming office last year after a testy relationship with former President Rodrigo Duterte, who had pivoted closer to Beijing in exchange for infrastructure projects and investments.
Ties with China have soured under Marcos, with repeated standoffs between Chinese and Filipino vessels in waters claimed by both countries, prompting heated exchanges of rhetoric and concerns of an escalation.
Marcos recently met Chinese President Xi Jinping in a bid to reduce the tension.
The joint patrol with the United States showed that Manila was making a stand over the South China Sea, said Jay Batongbacal, director of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea in Manila, the capital.
"It shows that the Philippines is really firming up its posture on West Philippine Sea issues," Batongbacal said.
Reuters
Wed Nov 22 2023
This week's three-day joint air and maritime exercise was a "significant initiative" to boost interoperability between the two, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said. - TWITTER/Bongbong Marcos
Zon Selamat didakwa Israel adalah palsu - UNRWA
Dakwaan rejin Israel bahawa penduduk Gaza boleh berpindah ke 'zon selamat' atau 'zon kemanusiaan' ialah satu pembohongan kata Pesuruhjaya Agensi Kerja dan Bantuan Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu bagi Pelarian Palestin (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini dalam kenyataan pada Sabtu.
Semua pihak diseru jangan ambil tindakan ekstrem
Menurut Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Hal Ehwal Agama), Datuk Mohd Na'im Mokhtar, beliau turut menyeru semua pihak agar tidak mengambil tindakan ekstrem ketika menunjuk tanda solidariti kepada umat Palestin.
JAINJ tingkat pemantauan penyebaran ajaran sesat
Jabatan Agama Islam Negeri Johor (JAINJ) akan meningkatkan pemantauan penyebaran ajaran sesat di Ulu Tiram susulan insiden serangan balai polis yang berlaku pada Jumaat.
Kes COVID-19 meningkat 14.8 peratus - KKM
Jumlah kes COVID-19 meningkat 14.8 peratus kepada 1,230 kes pada Minggu Epidemiologi ke-20 (ME 20/2024) iaitu bagi tempoh 12 Mei hingga 18 Mei 2024, menurut Kementerian Kesihatan (KKM).
Anggota MALBATT meninggal dunia di Lubnan
Seorang Pegawai Tidak Tauliah Kanan (PTTK) dari Malaysian Battalion 850-11 (MALBATT 850-11) yang dalam misi United Nations Interim Force in Lebonan (UNIFIL) meninggal dunia, pada Sabtu.
Malaysia antara negara terawal terima, TH edar kad haji Nusuk
Malaysia antara negara terawal terima, TH edar kad haji Nusuk
UAE hantar 100 tan bantuan kemanusiaan ke Brazil
Emiriah Arab Bersatu (UAE) pada Sabtu telah menghantar pesawat bantuan pertama yang membawa 100 tan makanan, perubatan dan bantuan kemanusiaan untuk membantu mangsa banjir dan hujan lebat yang melanda Brazil baru-baru ini.
Sekurang-kurangnya 400 maut susulan hujan lebat, banjir di Afghanistan
Hujan lebat dan banjir di Afghanistan telah menyebabkan sekurang-kurangnya 400 kematian.
Gunung Ibu meletus, tujuh kampung dipindahkan
Letusan gunung berapi di pulau terpencil Indonesia, Halmahera semalam yang memuntahkan awan abu kelabu ke langit memaksa penduduk tujuh kampung dipindahkan.
[TERKINI] Lelaki ceroboh, serang anggota di Balai Polis Dato' Keramat ditahan
Polis menahan seorang lelaki yang dipercayai menyerang anggota polis di Balai Polis Dato' Keramat, George Town pada Ahad.
Philippines Airlines batalkan tiket penerbangan ke Taiwan
Syarikat penerbangan Filipina atau Philippines Airlines (PAL) membatalkan tiket penerbangan ke Taiwan susulan kes penularan wabak koronavirus.
Gempa bumi 5.8 magnitud gegar Filipina, 51 cedera
Sekurangnya 51 orang cedera manakala beberapa rumah, gereja dan bangunan musnah dalam gempa bumi berukuran magnitud 5.8 yang menggegarkan selatan Filipina pagi Sabtu.
Kebakaran hotel Manila: 3 maut, 300 dipindahkan
Insiden berlaku di Manila Pavilion Hotel dan Casino yang terletak di kawasan tumpuan pelancong di bandar terbabit.