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MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines and the United States held their fifth joint naval exercise in the South China Sea, Manila’s military said on Sunday, a move that could anger China.
The Philippine military said in a statement that it held a “maritime cooperation exercise” with the US on Friday and Saturday, the first for a year and the fifth overall since the start of the joint operation. in 2023.
Defense ties between the two allies have increased under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has become closer to Washington, allowing the expansion of military bases within reach of American forces, including infrastructure. which focuses on Taiwan.
The joint naval operation included the US Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, two guided missile launchers, two helicopters and two F-18 Hornet aircraft.
The Philippine side deployed its frigate Antonio Luna, patrol vessel Andres Bonifacio, two FA-50 fighter jets, and air force search and rescue equipment.
The activities “strengthened bilateral maritime cooperation and cooperation”, the Philippine armed forces said.
Their joint action came at a time when the Philippines had called out China over the presence of Chinese coast guard vessels within its territorial waters, including a 165-m-long vessel ( 541 ft) which it describes as a “monster” in its size. .
The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment over the weekend.
