MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The United States, Australia, Canada and the Philippines held air and naval exercises Wednesday in what they described as a show of force to uphold the rule of law in the disputed South China Sea, where China has increasingly asserted its territorial claims. In an apparent response, China said it conducted combat air and sea patrols the same day.
Admiral Samuel Paparo, who leads the US Indo-Pacific Command, and military and defence leaders from Australia, Canada and the Philippines said in a joint statement that they “stand together to address common maritime challenges and underscore our shared dedication to upholding international law and the rules-based order.” They said they would conduct exercises over two days to defend unimpeded movement in the Indo-Pacific region.
China has long claimed much of the South China Sea, a crucial trade and security route, as its own and vows to defend its national interests at all costs. Its claims overlap with those of smaller coastal states such as the Philippines and Vietnam, complicating its access to traditional fishing grounds and affecting oil and gas exploration in its internationally recognised exclusive economic zones.
A Philippine navy spokesman, Rear Admiral Roy Trinidad, said the exercises were not directed against any country but were “a collective expression of support for a rules-based international order.”
China said it carried out air and sea patrols on Wednesday near Scarborough Atoll, a disputed territory in the South China Sea, in an apparent response to the exercises.
A brief statement from the Chinese military’s Southern Command said it was aware of “military activities interfering in the South China Sea” and that they were “under control.” China routinely accuses the United States, the Philippines and others of undermining regional peace and stability with their military activity.
Hostilities in particularly severe disputed waters have erupted since last year between the coast guards and navies of China and the Philippines at two disputed atolls, renewing fears that the confrontations could escalate into a larger armed conflict involving the United States, a longtime treaty ally of the Philippines.
Following an alarming violent confrontation on June 17 at the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Atoll in the South China Sea, China and the Philippines reached a temporary agreement last month aimed at preventing further clashes.
