South China Sea: Philippine coastguard to join US military drills for the first time

The Philippine coastguard said on Thursday it will participate for the first time in an annual joint military exercise conducted by the Southeast Asian country and the United States.

More than 16,700 Filipino and American troops will take part in this year’s drills, which kick off on Monday.

Beijing claims almost the entire waterway and sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary.

While many nations, including the US, do not officially acknowledge Taiwan as an independent state, they oppose any use of force to alter the existing status quo.

The US has been deepening its defence cooperation with regional allies, including the Philippines, as it seeks to counter China’s growing assertiveness.

Philippine coastguard (PCG) spokesman Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said on Thursday it would be the first time Philippine coastguard vessels join the drills dubbed Balikatan, which means “shoulder to shoulder” in Tagalog.

Previously, PCG boats had patrolled the waters around the exercises to prevent interlopers.

Six vessels would participate, Balilo said, including four 44-metre multi-role response boats and two larger patrol vessels.

The coastguard’s special operations force would also “undertake joint interoperability exercises” with the Philippine navy and their counterparts from Australia, France and the US.

There have been several minor collisions between Philippine and Chinese coastguard vessels in recent months, raising fears of a wider conflict that could involve the US and other allies.

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There have also been multiple incidents involving the China coastguard water-cannoning Philippine vessels, at times injuring