Philippines conducts exercises with the US, Canada and Australia near China

The Philippines has launched naval and air exercises with the US, Canada and Australia, it says, as Beijing asserts its territorial claims to the entire South China Sea.

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The manoeuvres will take place "within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone" and demonstrate "our collective commitment to strengthening regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region," senior military officials from the four countries said.

The drills came as China's "gun-rattling" near Taiwan and in the South China Sea has heightened fears of a potential all-out war in the region, which could drag the United States into the mix.

It is worth noting that Beijing claims most of the strategic South China Sea, having rejected an international court ruling that its claims were unfounded. At the same time, Manila conducted separate naval exercises in the South China Sea last week, first with the United States and then two days later with Japan.

A joint coast guard exercise between the Philippines and Vietnam is also scheduled for Friday near Manila Bay. The Philippines has a mutual defence agreement with the United States as well as Japan, which allows the two countries to deploy troops on each other's territory.

"The naval and air forces of the participating countries will operate together, improving cooperation and interoperability between our armed forces," the countries explained in a joint statement.

Source: The Defence Post