25-8-2023 (MANILA) Australian and Filipino troops conducted joint exercises near the South China Sea, an area claimed by China, with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos calling the drills “extremely important” for regional cooperation.
China has deployed numerous coast guard, navy, and other vessels to patrol and militarize the South China Sea, despite an international ruling that its claims to the area have no legal basis.
The exercises took place at a naval base approximately 240km east of Scarborough Shoal, a valuable fishing ground that China seized from the Philippines in 2012 following a tense standoff.
President Marcos emphasized the significance of such exercises given the region’s volatility and as a preparation for various eventualities.
The joint drills, which marked the first major joint exercise between Australia and the Philippines, simulated the retaking of an enemy-controlled island.
Approximately 1,200 Australian soldiers and 560 Filipino marines participated in the exercise, arriving via amphibious assault vehicles, parachutes, and US Osprey aircraft.
Two advanced Australian F-35 fighter jets provided close air support, while Australian warships secured the surrounding waters.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles underscored the commitment to a world where disputes are resolved through international law and the protection of the rules-based order.
Marles emphasized that peace is maintained through the safeguarding of the global rules-based order, which he noted is currently under pressure.
Marles and his Filipino counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro, issued a joint statement indicating their intention to plan “bilateral joint patrols in the South China Sea and other areas of mutual interest.”
These expanded bilateral activities could eventually include “other countries committed to sustaining peace and security in our region,” they said.
These exercises come after Chinese coast guard vessels fired water cannons and blocked a Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on August 5.
The Philippines intentionally grounded a World War II-era vessel on the shoal and established a tiny garrison in 1999 to counter China’s advances in the area.
On Tuesday, a second Philippine mission successfully delivered supplies to the outpost, although it was briefly chased and blocked by Chinese vessels.
The Chinese coast guard stated that it allowed the resupply on humanitarian grounds as the Philippine vessels did not carry illegal building materials for large-scale reinforcements.
This week, the Philippines hosted a meeting with fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China to negotiate a code of conduct in the South China Sea.
