US and Philippine forces launch joint annual combat drills amid tensions with China
ADVERTISEMENT
Thousands of American and Filipino troops have launched joint military exercises simulating the defence of the Asian archipelago, including a mock island invasion, in a large-scale drill that has drawn sharp criticism from China.
The annual Balikatan (Tagalog for "shoulder to shoulder") exercises, which will run until 9 May, involve around 9,000 US and 5,000 Filipino military personnel.
Australian forces have also joined and Japan and other nations have sent observers.
US and Philippine military leaders described this year's drill as a "full-scale battle scenario," featuring warships, fighter jets and high-powered weaponry, including a US Marine anti-ship missile system.
"Our combined strength…possesses a degree of lethality for a force that possesses an indomitable warrior ethos and spirit," said US Marine Corps Lieutenant General James Glynn at the opening ceremony in Manila.
Personnel on board the Philippine Navy BRP Jose Rizal check the flight deck as US Navy USS Shoup (DDG86) joins manoeuvres in the South China Sea, 28 March, 2025
AP Photo
"It's all dedicated to one purpose: to ensure the defence of the Philippines and to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific."
Although not explicitly naming China, the drills come amid growing friction over Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea, which overlap with Philippine waters.
China has long opposed foreign military exercises in the region, especially those involving the United States.
"We are ready," Glynn added when asked about potential threats in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. "All of us want to resolve any regional conflict peacefully, but should deterrence fail, we need to be prepared."
Philippine army Major General Francisco Lorenzo said the exercises are not targeted at any nation, but instead aim to boost national defence and enhance cooperation between the allies.
Related
US military says Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of B-52 bomber over South China Sea
Indonesia and China pledge maritime cooperation amid South China Sea tensions
"It will increase our capabilities and our preparedness and responsiveness to any eventuality," he said.
The drills will include a simulated counterattack against an enemy force occupying an island, the sinking of a mock enemy vessel using artillery and missile fire, joint patrols in or near disputed waters, and aerial reconnaissance missions.
The US Navy is also deploying its Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, an anti-ship missile platform, along with unmanned sea vessels. These will be tested in exercises aimed at protecting Philippine sovereignty, officials said.
In addition, special forces from both nations will conduct training in the Batanes Islands, located at the northernmost tip of the Philippine archipelago and just across the Luzon Strait from Taiwan.
A Philippine military official confirmed that the US Army's mid-range missile system, equipped with SM-6 and Tomahawk missiles, had been repositioned to a strategic western coastal province facing the South China Sea.
ADVERTISEMENT
US troopers alight from a CH-47 carrying American and Philippine troops as it lands at the Philippines' northernmost town of Itbayat, 6 May, 2024
AP Photo
The weapon had previously been stationed in Laoag, in the north of the country. China has criticised the move, warning it could fuel an arms race.
China's foreign ministry has consistently condemned the Balikatan exercises as destabilising, accusing the US of fuelling tensions and attempting to contain Beijing through its alliances.
Nevertheless, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, during a recent visit to Manila, reiterated Washington's commitment to its oldest ally. He insisted that the US was not preparing for war, but emphasised that peace would be achieved "through strength."
Washington has repeatedly affirmed its obligation under the 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty to defend the Philippines if its forces or vessels are attacked, including in the South China Sea. Other claimants to the busy waterway include Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
ADVERTISEMENT
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Euronews
EU deplores US sanctions on ICC judges, including Slovenian
The European Union has roundly deplored the United States for sanctioning four judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), including one citizen from the bloc, Slovenia's Beti Hohler, further deepening the divide between transatlantic allies. The sanctions, which also target nationals from Benin, Uganda and Peru, were announced on Thursday by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said the decision was based on the court's "baseless and politicised" investigations of war crimes allegedly committed by US forces in Afghanistan and Israel in the Gaza Strip. The second probe led to arrest warrants on Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Natayanhu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Judge Hohler ruled in favour of the orders. As a result of the measures, the four judges will be unable to access their property and assets on US soil and will be blocked from making transactions with American entities. The bans risk hindering the magistrates' ability to perform their day-to-day work. "We call on our allies to stand with us against this disgraceful attack," Rubio said. Rubio's call was met with the opposite reaction: emphatic support for the Hague-based tribunal and forceful rejection of the sanctions. "The ICC holds perpetrators of the world's gravest crimes to account & gives victims a voice. It must be free to act without pressure," said Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission. "We will always stand for global justice & the respect of international law." António Costa, the president of the European Council, voiced a similar message. "The EU strongly supports the International Criminal Court, a cornerstone of international justice," Costa wrote on social media. The ICC "does not stand against nations—it stands against impunity. We must protect its independence and integrity. The rule of law must prevail over the rule of power." The Netherlands, which serves as the host country for the ICC, also expressed strong condemnation, stressing the tribunal's work must remain "as unhindered as possible". "The Netherlands disapproves of the new sanctions against officials of the International Criminal Court," said Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp. "Independent international courts and tribunals must be able to carry out their work without hindrance. We stand firmly behind the Court." Rejecting outside "pressure on judicial institutions", the Slovenian government said it would provide Judge Beti Hohler with "all necessary support in the performance of her mandate in the current situation". The country called on Brussels to immediately activate the so-called blocking statute, a decades-long regulation meant to protect EU individuals and companies from the extraterritorial application of sanctions by non-EU countries. The law was introduced in reaction to the sanctions that Washington introduced in 1996 against Cuba, Iran and Libya, which had ripple effects on European operators that engaged in legitimate trade with the three countries, particularly Cuba. The blocking statute came back to the fore in 2018, when the first Donald Trump administration withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, reintroduced sanctions that had been previously lifted and threatened to punish companies for doing business with Tehran, regardless of their geographic location or ownership. Although Brussels tried to mitigate the damaging impact of these secondary sanctions, many European companies voluntarily cut off relations with Iran out of fear of losing access to America's highly profitable, dollar-based market. Neither von der Leyen nor Costa spoke about the statute in their responses. In a statement, the ICC insisted it would "continue its work undeterred, in strict accordance with the Rome Statute and the principles of fairness and due process". "Targeting those working for accountability does nothing to help civilians trapped in conflict. It only emboldens those who believe they can act with impunity," it said. "These sanctions are not only directed at designated individuals, they also target all those who support the Court, including nationals and corporate entities of States Parties. They are aimed against innocent victims in all situations before the Court." The US, which is not a party to the 1998 Rome Statute, has long had tense relations with the ICC, viewing with suspicion its ability to conduct probes into nationals around the world. The arrest warrant against Netanyahu was met with bipartisan condemnation in Washington and prompted a renewed assault by the Trump administration. Earlier this year, Hungary openly defied the ICC by ignoring the warrant and inviting Netanyahu to Budapest. Hungary later announced its intention to withdraw from the Rome Statute, becoming the first member state to do so. Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukrainian cities overnight on Friday, killing at least five people and injuring more than 70. According to Ukraine's Air Force spokesperson Yuri Ihnat, Kyiv forces intercepted 368 out of 407 drones and shot down 36 out of 45 missiles, including four out of six ballistic Iskander missiles launched by Russia. Ukraine's Air Forces activated the air raid alerts in all Ukrainian regions last night, warning people that multiple Russian bombers had taken off for the attack. Many people proceeded to bomb shelters with the warning. Ukraine's capital Kyiv was hit the hardest. The city Mayor Vitali Klitschko said search and rescue operations were under way at several locations. Multiple explosions were heard in Kyiv overnight, where falling debris sparked fires across several districts as air defence systems attempted to intercept incoming targets, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Administration. 'Our air defence crews are doing everything possible. But we must protect one another — stay safe,' Tkachenko wrote on Telegram. Authorities reported damage in several districts, and rescue workers were responding at multiple locations. They urged residents to seek shelter. In Solomyanskyi district, a fire broke out on the 11th floor of a 16-story residential building. Emergency services evacuated three people from the apartment, and rescue operations were ongoing. Another fire broke out in a metal warehouse. Tkachenko said the metro tracks between two stations in Kyiv were damaged in the attack, but no fire or injuries occurred. In the northern Chernihiv region, a Shahed drone exploded near an apartment building, shattering windows and doors, according to regional military administration chief Dmytro Bryzhynskyi. He added that explosions from ballistic missiles were also recorded on the outskirts of the city. The nighttime attack came hours after US President Donald Trump said it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia 'fight for a while' before pulling them apart and pursuing peace, in comments that were a remarkable detour from Trump's often-stated appeals to stop the three-year war. Trump spoke as he met with Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who appealed to him as the 'key person in the world' who could halt the bloodshed by pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump this week spoke on the phone with Putin, who vowed to respond "very strongly" to Ukraine's daring drone attacks on Russian military airfields that had taken place on Sunday.
Euronews
3 hours ago
- Euronews
Entertainment world reacts to Donald Trump and Elon Musk fallout
Donald Trump and Elon Musk's friendship is seemingly coming to an end after the tech billionaire pushed back against the US president's divisive One Big Beautiful Bill Act - which he called a "disgusting abomination". Despite public support for one another, Musk's role in Trump's election campaign and his previous (and incredibly controversial) position as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the bromance came crashing down due to the aforementioned bill, which proposes a range of tax cuts and changes to social programs that Musk claims would "burden American citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt". Trump publicly said that he was 'very disappointed with Elon', claiming the former DOGE head 'knew the inner workings' of the Big Beautiful Bill 'better than anybody' and had 'no problem with it' until he realised that the government was 'going to cut the (electric vehicle) mandate'. Musk responded: 'False, this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!' The increasingly explosive fallout continued with Trump threatening to cut Elon's government contracts, including with Tesla and SpaceX, and claimed that the CEO was "crazy". "Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. Musk promptly hit back, claiming that the President would have lost the election without his contributions to the campaign. He also agreed with an X user that Trump should be impeached. "Such ingratitude," he added. The came the bombshell X post on Thursday, in which Musk alleged that Trump had shared a long friendship with convicted abuser and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. 'Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrup is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.' 'Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out,' Musk added in a follow-up post. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed his claims in a statement, saying: "This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted." As to be expected, the entertainment world has been reacting to this swiftly escalating public feud. Among the first people to react to the ongoing feud was Kanye 'Ye' West, who has publicly and controversially aligned himself with Trump and Musk countless times before. 'Broooos please nooooo We love you both so much,' he posted on X. Piers Morgan reacted to Musk's claims that Trump is in the Epstein File with a 'Holy Shit', before offering both men a platform to 'duke this out for a few hours'. 'BBB actually stands for Big Beautiful Breakup,' commented right-wing activist Laura Loomer, while conspiracy theorist Alex Jones wrote: 'God Help Us ALL….' after Musk's accusation. Steve Bannon, a right-wing activist who has opposed Musk's role in the government, took things up a notch by telling the New York Times that Musk should be 'deported' and that the government should 'initiate a formal investigation of his immigration status.' Elsewhere, popular politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez offered her take when asked about the feud: 'Oh man, the girls are fighting, aren't they?' Democratic Senator Adam Schiff joked on X: 'Going to need a Big Beautiful Bucket of popcorn for this ugly brawl.' Comedian, writer and TV host Jon Stewart wrote: 'Good thing Trump didn't willfully hand over the entirety of our country's operating system to Elon and his… oops.' As for celebrated musician Jack White, who has consistently been critical of both Trump and Musk – he wrote in response to Kanye West's post: '3 fucking nazi clowns collapsing under the weight of their own unchecked egos. More popcorn gruppenfuehrer! L to R: Joseph Noballs, Yedolf Hitler, and Herman Boring. Is America 'Great' yet boys?' Une publication partagée par Jack White (@officialjackwhite) Another notable reaction came from Vivian Jenna Wilson, Elon Musk's estranged transgender daughter. Wilson posted a short video of herself with the caption 'I love being proven right.' She also posted a photo on Threads with the song 'Job Application' by Chase Icon and the caption, 'Such beauty in life.'
LeMonde
6 hours ago
- LeMonde
US sanctions four International Criminal Court judges, Netanyahu thanks Trump
The United States on Thursday, June 5, imposed sanctions on four judges at the International Criminal Court, including over an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as it ramped up pressure to neuter the court of last resort. The four judges in The Hague, all women, will be barred entry to the United States and any property or other interests in the world's largest economy will be blocked – measures more often taken against policymakers from US adversaries than against judicial officials. "The United States will take whatever actions we deem necessary to protect our sovereignty, that of Israel, and any other US ally from illegitimate actions by the ICC," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. "I call on the countries that still support the ICC, many of whose freedom was purchased at the price of great American sacrifices, to fight this disgraceful attack on our nation and Israel," Rubio said. The court swiftly hit back, saying in a statement: "These measures are a clear attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution which operates under the mandate from 125 States Parties from all corners of the globe." Israel's Netanyahu welcomed the move, thanking US President Donald Trump's administration in a social media post. "Thank you President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio for imposing sanctions against the politicized judges of the ICC. You have justly stood up for the right of Israel," he wrote on Friday. War crimes Human Rights Watch urged other nations to speak out and reaffirm the independence of the ICC, set up in 2002 to prosecute individuals responsible for the world's gravest crimes when countries are unwilling or unable to do so themselves. The sanctions "aim to deter the ICC from seeking accountability amid grave crimes committed in Israel and Palestine and as Israeli atrocities mount in Gaza, including with US complicity," said the rights group's international justice director, Liz Evenson. Two of the targeted judges, Beti Hohler of Slovenia and Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin, took part in proceedings that led to an arrest warrant issued last November for Netanyahu. The court found "reasonable grounds" of criminal responsibility by Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant for actions that include the war crime of starvation as a method of war in the massive offensive in Gaza following Hamas's unprecedented October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Israel, alleging bias, has angrily rejected charges of war crimes as well as a separate allegation of genocide led by South Africa before the International Court of Justice. The two other judges, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru and Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, were part of the court proceedings that led to the authorization of an investigation into allegations that US forces committed war crimes during the war in Afghanistan. Return to hard line Neither the United States nor Israel is party to the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court. But almost all Western allies of the United States as well as Japan and South Korea, the vast majority of Latin America and much of Africa are parties to the statute and in theory are required to arrest suspects when they land on their soil. Trump, in his first term, had already imposed sanctions on the then ICC chief prosecutor over the Afghanistan investigation. After Trump's defeat in 2020, then president Joe Biden took a more conciliatory approach to the court with case-by-case cooperation. Rubio's predecessor Antony Blinken rescinded the sanctions and, while critical of its stance on Israel, worked with the court in its investigation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. ICC judges in 2023 issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the alleged mass abduction of Ukrainian children during the war. Both Putin and Netanyahu have voiced defiance over the ICC pressure but have also looked to minimize time in countries that are party to the court. The ICC arrest warrants have been especially sensitive in Britain, a close US ally whose Prime Minister Keir Starmer is a former human rights lawyer. Downing Street has said that Britain will fulfil its "legal obligations" without explicitly saying if Netanyahu would be arrested if he visits. Hungary, led by Trump ally Viktor Orban, has parted ways with the rest of the European Union by moving to exit the international court. Orban thumbed his nose at the court by welcoming Netanyahu to visit in April.
