The U.S. Coast Guard joined Philippine maritime forces in a series of joint exercises on Monday.
The Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA)—the first to feature coast guard vessels from both countries—came as the allies continued to bolster security ties amid territorial tensions between the Southeast Asian nation and China.
Why It Matters
China asserts sovereignty over most of the South China Sea despite a 2016 ruling by an international arbitral tribunal dismissing its sweeping claims. These claims overlap with those of several neighboring countries.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vowed not to yield “even one square inch of our sovereign territory.” Nevertheless, China has expanded its maritime presence into the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, sometimes leading to clashes and collisions at the Spratly Islands and other contested features.
What To Know
The MCA, the sixth joint maritime activity between the United States and the Philippines and the second this year, took place off the country’s western provinces of Palawan and Occidental Mindoro, the Philippine military said in a statement.
The U.S. was represented by the Legend-class cutter USCG Stratton and a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane.
Participating Philippine vessels included the patrol ships BRP Alcaraz and BRP Malapascua, patrol gunboat BRP Domingo Deluana, and coast guard cutter Melchora Aquino.
“As the Philippines continues to navigate evolving maritime challenges, joint activities like the MCA reaffirm the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines’] commitment to modernizing its capabilities and strengthening defense partnerships to secure our national and regional maritime interests,” General Romeo Brawner Jr., chief of staff of the Philippine military, was quoted as saying.
China has frequently criticized the Philippines’ joint military exercises with the U.S. and other countries in the region, accusing Manila of inviting outside forces into what it believes to be a bilateral dispute.
