4-9-2023 (MANILA) Naval vessels from the Philippines and the United States engaged in a joint sail through parts of the South China Sea within the exclusive economic zone of the Southeast Asian nation, announced Manila’s military on Monday, September 4.
This collaborative maritime activity marks the first instance of the Philippines and the United States conducting a joint sail in the waters to the west of Palawan Island, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Command.
The coordinated effort between the US and the Philippines comes at a time when tensions are running high between Manila and Beijing. China asserts substantial territorial claims over much of the South China Sea, a stance that has been a point of contention with several neighboring nations.
Participating in the joint sail were the Philippine Navy’s guided-missile frigate BRP Jose Rizal and the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson. During the exercise, these ships practiced maneuvering in close proximity to one another.
The Western Command released a statement noting, “This event aims to provide an opportunity for the Philippine Navy and the US Indo-Pacific Navy to test and refine existing maritime doctrine.”
Manila has repeatedly voiced concerns over what it perceives as China’s “aggressive” actions in the South China Sea. These actions include an incident in which a Chinese coast guard vessel used a water cannon against a Philippine vessel involved in a resupply mission on August 5.
China has constructed militarized artificial islands in the South China Sea, and its expansive claims of historical sovereignty overlap with the exclusive economic zones of several nations, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia.
In 2016, the Philippines secured an international arbitration award against China. The tribunal ruled that Beijing’s broad assertion of sovereignty over the majority of the South China Sea lacked a legal basis.
