US, Philippines militaries conduct drills in waters adjacent to the China-claimed South China Sea

2 weeks ago 7

The militaries of the U.S. and Philippines person carried retired associated drills successful waters adjacent to the South China Sea claimed by Beijing

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The militaries of the U.S. and Philippines person carried retired associated drills successful waters adjacent to the South China Sea claimed by Beijing, amid a rising fig of incidents betwixt China and the Philippines successful the captious Southeast Asian waterway.

Participating successful the maneuvers successful the Sulu Sea this week were ships and craft from navies and seashore guards, on with the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. 7th Fleet liable for the Asia-Pacific said successful a statement.

It said the drills included “exercises successful maritime domain awareness, part tactics, maneuvering" and hunt and seizure.

There was nary contiguous remark from Beijing connected the drills.

In a caller nationalist representation released successful 2003, the Chinese authorities demarcated its assertion to virtually the full South China Sea, with vague dash lines that drew protests and rejections from rival coastal governments, including Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines.

China has transformed 7 disputed reefs into what are present missile-protected land bases, including Mischief Reef, which lies wrong the Philippines’ exclusive economical zone. The Sulu Sea lies wrong that zone.

China has ignored a 2016 planetary arbitration ruling that invalidated China’s extended territorial claims based connected humanities grounds, and objects to activities by the U.S. subject successful the portion — specifically those that situation its land claims and menace to invade Taiwan, conscionable northbound of the Sulu Sea.

The U.S. lays nary claims successful the waters, but has declared that state of navigation and overflight and the peaceful solution of the conflicts are successful its halfway nationalist interests.

The U.S. besides has a pact obligating it to support the Philippines if attacked and has been dispatching further troops and weaponry to upgrade the land nation's quality to support itself.

China routinely harasses Philippine sportfishing boats successful parts of the South China Sea, besides wrong the Philippines’ exclusive economical zone, which extends 200 nautical miles (about 370 kilometers) from its coastline.