Theater on the Pacific

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The Philippines and the United States launched their largest-ever military drills across the South China Sea on Tuesday, an exercise aimed at deterring China’s ambitions in the disputed waters, Al Jazeera reported.

Known as the annual Balikatan drills, the event will have more than 17,600 soldiers taking part in the exercises – the largest since they began three decades ago. The drills aim to showcase US warships and fighter jets, as well as Patriot missiles and HIMARS rocket launchers.

The two allies will also stage a live-fire drill, where they will sink a target ship in Philippine territorial waters off the western province of Zambales later in the month, according to the Associated Press.

The drills will conclude on April 28.

Military officials from both sides said the Balikatan event aims to increase “our ability to work together effectively and efficiently in response to various crisis situations.”

The Balikatan exercises began a day after China ended three days of combat drills around Taiwan, in response to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week in California, which enraged Beijing.

Taiwan criticized Beijing’s drills as a threat to regional stability, while Japan said they were an act of “intimidation.”

The Balikatan drills mark the latest demonstration of American firepower in Asia as the Biden administration expands an arc of alliances to more effectively counter China, including a potential clash over Taiwan, an island democracy that Beijing claims as its own.

It also comes as the Philippines is facing increasing pressure from China in recent years over Beijing’s expansive claim to almost the whole South China Sea.

Although public polls suggest that most Filipinos support stronger ties with the US, there were protests as Balikatan began, with people fearful that Manila would be drawn into a larger conflict.