The US and the Philippines have kicked off their largest joint military exercise in 31 years, highlighting the two countries’ efforts to revitalise their alliance to deal with an increasingly assertive China.Although Balikatan, the two militaries’ annual flagship drill, had been scheduled for months, its opening on Tuesday — a day after China wrapped up three-day manoeuvres around Taiwan — underscored the importance of the Philippines in any regional conflict.
The US and Philippine foreign and defence ministers are also due to hold the first so-called 2+2 meeting in seven years in Washington on Tuesday, another reflection of the allies’ significant increase in security co-operation.
About 12,000 US forces, 5,400 Philippine military personnel and more than 100 Australian forces will participate in the Balikatan manoeuvres, double the ranks of previous years’ exercises, as first reported by the Financial Times.