The US, Australia, Canada and the Philippines yesterday held air and naval maneuvers in what they said was a show of force to promote the rule of law in the disputed South China Sea, while China said it conducted air and sea combat patrols on the same day.
Admiral Samuel Paparo, who heads the US Indo-Pacific Command, and top military and defense commanders 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 were staging the two-day exercises to uphold unhindered passage in the Indo-Pacific region.
Photo: AFP / Armed Forces of the Philippines
“The naval and air force units of participating nations will operate together, enhancing cooperation and interoperability between our armed forces,” the commanders said. “The activity will be conducted in a manner that is consistent with international law and with due regard to the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other states.”
A Philippine military official said that the navy ships and fighter jets would conduct anti-submarine warfare drills, combined sea passage maneuvers and communications checks.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the release of specific details of the maneuvers.
A Philippine navy spokesman, Rear Admiral Roy Trinidad, said that the exercises are not directed at any country, but are “a collective expression of support for a rules-based international order.”
China said it held joint sea and air combat patrols yesterday near Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in the Macclesfield Bank (Zhongsha Islands, 中沙群島) in an apparent response to the exercises.
The Chinese military’s Southern Theater Command said in a statement that it was aware of “military activities that disrupt the South China Sea” and that they were “under control.”
Taiwan, China and the Philippines have competing claims to the features of the Macclesfield Bank.
Paparo and the other military commanders did not mention China by name, but said their nations affirm a 2016 arbitration ruling on the South China Sea disputes “as a final and legally binding decision on the parties to the dispute.”
Additional reporting by staff writer
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