On Tuesday, October 15, the United States and the Philippines Marine Corps began a 10-day large-scale joint exercise with key allies in the waters of the Philippines, Taiwan, and the South China Sea.
Major General Arturo Rojas, commander of the Philippine Marine Corps, stated at the opening ceremony that the joint military exercise reflects the close relationship between the Philippines and its allies. He emphasized that “KAMANDAG is not just for defense, but also for building trust, promoting cooperation, and consolidating partnerships to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The naval marine exercise is named KAMANDAG, which stands for “Cooperation of Warriors at Sea” in Filipino. This annual exercise between the United States and the Philippines comes at a time when China conducted unannounced military exercises near Taiwan, raising tensions in the region.
Colonel Stuart Glenn, commander of the US Marine Corps Southeast Asia Task Force, stated, “Through our efforts, we reaffirm our shared commitment to regional security and address the increasingly complex security environment threatening the free and open Indo-Pacific region.”
The Philippine Marine Corps mentioned that the operation includes amphibious landings, live-fire exercises, humanitarian assistance, and island exercises. More than 2,300 American and Filipino soldiers are participating, along with troops from Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Australia, and France. Members of the Thai and Indonesian naval marines are also observing the exercises.
The joint military exercise coincides with China’s military drills near the Taiwan Strait on Monday, October 14, which drew strong condemnation from Taipei and the United States government.
Regarding China’s military exercises, a spokesperson for the US State Department expressed “serious concerns” late Sunday night, October 13.
On October 10, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen reiterated Taiwan’s position as not subordinate to China during her National Day speech and vowed to resist China’s annexation attempts. China responded with military exercises on October 14 but ended them hastily within a day.
Japanese Prime Minister Shizo Abe reaffirmed Japan’s stance on the Taiwan Strait issue on Monday, emphasizing that peace and stability around the Taiwan Strait is crucial not only for Japan but also for the region.
Previously, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during the ASEAN series summit and East Asia Summit in Laos, warned Beijing not to provoke under any pretext.