 |
| The picture of Philippines' Coast Guard ships Image Credit: Google |
Amid Chinese growing
influence in South China Sea and the region at large the coastguards of the
United States, Japan and the Philippines are set to launch maritime exercises
in the South China Sea, in the first such drills between the three countries.
Schedule and
Venue:
The military drills
shall begin on Thursday and last until 7th of June. The venue where
the exercises will start is waters of Bataan province of Philippines.
Military Diplomacy
of Washington:
As United
States ramps up it military diplomacy in the region. It has scheduled to stage
more frequent war games in the region with its allies.
US encompass in
the drills, the area of South China Sea, the waters of Taiwan and the whole
Western Pacific region.
About the Trilateral
Drills, equipment and weapons used:
The trilateral
drills were an initiative of the US and Japan, while Australia would join as an
observer. Armand Balilo, who is a spokesperson for the Philippine coastguard,
told reporters in Manila on last Monday.
Four Philippine
vessels and one each from the US and Japan will participate in exercises. They are
designed to improve search and rescue collaboration and law enforcement, he further
added.
United States
and Japan approached Philippines was approached about holding joint maritime
exercises in February, the same month when Manila accused China of aggressive
activities in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety.
According to
Philippine coast guard official, “This is a usual routine activity among
coastguard agencies,” and “There is nothing wrong with holding exercises
with your counterparts.”
Lastly, Balilo revealed
that the upcoming maritime exercise will include counter-piracy simulations,
and possibly an interception exercise involving a vessel carrying weapons of
mass destruction.
Frequent Condemnation
of China by US and its allies:
The US and its
allies Japan and Australia have frequently condemned China’s growing influence
of the South China Sea through militarisation.
The Countries
also have sought to engage more closely with the Philippines since Ferdinand
Marcos Jr took over as president last year from pro-China predecessor Rodrigo
Duterte.
The Philippines
has been increasingly vocal about China’s conduct in the strategic waters,
including over its alleged use of a “military-grade laser” against a vessel
supporting a resupply mission to a ship in the disputed waters.
Corresponding
Chinese Military Exercises:
China is also
making a push to deepen military engagement with its southerly neighbours. From
the past few years, has increased drills in the strategic waterways.
The military exercises
it has conducted includes the exercises with Laos, Singapore, and Cambodia this
year and is also set to send warships to a multilateral naval exercise hosted
by Indonesia this month.
The joint
military drill held in May with Laos, its landlocked neighbour. While exercises
with Singapore in the southern reaches of the South China Sea.
And in March,
China and Cambodia held drills in Cambodian waters for the first time.
Chinese Plans
of Military Drills including Amana Youyi-2023:
The Chinese
defence ministry said on Wednesday that it will send its destroyer Zhanjiang
and frigate Xuchang, both equipped with guided missiles, to the 2023
Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK), in Indonesia’s Makassar.
Indonesia has
invited to the drills about 47 states, including North Korea, Russia, South
Korea and the US. The drill will run from 4th to 8th of June.
China is also
planning a joint drill with the states from Association of the Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN), including Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
The drills are
named Amana Youyi-2023.
Why China and
US play such war games?
US and China desire
to have strategic depth in the Asia Pacific Region particularly in South China
Sea in order to secure their vested interests.
Relations
between China and the US have been tense. This tension arises between the
world’s two largest economies over everything from Taiwan and Beijing’s human
rights record to its military activity in the South China Sea.
(Courtesy: Al-Jazeera)
0 Comments