The military forces of the Philippines, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States will conduct joint marine drills in the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone on Saturday, as stated by Gen. Rome Brawner Jr., chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
In a statement issued Saturday, Brawner stated that the Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity includes participating countries’ naval and air force units and “demonstrates a collective commitment to enhancing international and regional collaboration in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
The AFP chief declined to provide details of participating troops, but the Australian defense ministry said in a release that HMAS Sydney and a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft will join the drill, “enhancing cooperation and interoperability between our armed forces.”
In response to China’s growing belligerent moves in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippines has grown its training engagements with foreign partners and upgraded its defense agreements with them, signing a contract in July to allow Japanese troops access to the Philippines and vice versa.
China has disregarded a 2016 arbitral verdict that invalidated its broad claims to the West Philippine Sea and blamed tensions in the region on the Philippines, the United States, and other Western countries.
Countries involved in the international “cooperative activity” have expressed alarm about Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea, including the placement of water cannons, aggressive maneuvers, and the deliberate ramming of Philippine Coast Guard ships.
Chinese Aggression in the West Philippine Sea
Earlier this week, the Philippine Coast Guard was monitoring the movements of a Chinese research vessel and six maritime militia escorts in the West Philippine Sea around Palawan, which one American analyst described as a “survey in force.”
Chinese ships also swarmed the Coast Guard patrol ship BRP Teresa Magbanua, which had been stationed at Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea since April, reducing supplies and forcing her to return to Palawan for resupply, repairs, and medical care for dehydrated personnel.
Chinese presence in the West Philippine Sea has also impacted Filipino fishermen’s livelihoods, particularly those who fish at Bajo de Masinloc (Panatag, Scarborough Shoal), a historic fishing ground off Zambales that China has prohibited entry to.
“The activity will be conducted in a manner consistent with international law and with due regard for the safety of navigation as well as the rights and interests of other States,” Brawner said, adding that the multilateral drills demonstrate the participating countries’ commitments to freedom of navigation and overflight.
The national democratic activist movement, which has also protested Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea, has warned against permitting more foreign militaries into Philippine waters and territory, claiming that “militarization” of the region dangers drawing the Philippines to the conflict between China, the United States, and its allies.
It has advocated for increased domestic military capabilities, diplomatic tactics, and international backing for the 2016 ruling and cooperative civilian patrols by Southeast Asian countries, particularly those with conflicting claims in the West Philippine Sea.