US, Philippines Begin Joint Drills Amid Rising Territorial Tensions In South China Sea
2015-04-21 08:43:54 source：International Business Times
April 20, 2015
"The U.S. and the Philippines began one of their biggest joint military exercises in the last 15 years on Monday. The annual drills -- named "Balikatan" -- would take place over a span of 10 days and witness the involvement of over 11,000 American and Filipino soldiers.
"We make no pretense that we are helping the Philippines as it fields a minimum credible defense," Philip Goldberg, the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, reportedly said at the opening ceremony of the drills. "The U.S. is committed to its alliance ... and the U.S. will defend the important principles of freedom of navigation in the air and the sea."
The drills, part of the U.S. military's "Pacific Pathways" strategy, which aims to bolster its presence in the region, come at a time when territorial tensions between the Philippines and China have witnessed an upsurge. The dispute between the two Asian nations centers on the status of the Scarborough Shoal -- known as Huangyan Island in China -- located nearly 100 miles from the Philippines and 500 miles from China."
Read more: