US and Philippines launch joint naval drills after Chinese blockade of Taiwan
The Kamandag exercises will take place in the midst of tensions over Beijing's claim to the Taiwanese autonomous island and the South China Sea.
Philippine Marines and Navy commanders open Kamandag exercises.
The U.S. and Philippine navies embarked Tuesday on 10 days of joint drills in the northern and western Philippines, a day after China conducted maneuvers around Taiwan.
The annual exercises, known as Kamandag, or Venom, focus on defending the northern coast of Luzon, the Philippines' main island about 500 miles from Taiwan.
In addition to the latest episode of Chinese maneuvers around Taiwan, the Kamandag exercises take place in waters over which China has claimed sovereignty. The so-called South China Sea, or Philippine Sea, is a staging ground for repeated clashes between the Chinese and Philippine coast guards.
Beijing's intention is to deploy military and coast guard vessels in an attempt to oust the Philippines from several strategic reefs and islands in those waters.
Still, Philippine Marine Corps commandant Major General Arturo Rojas said during the opening ceremony Tuesday in Manila that the Kamandag maneuvers were long planned and "have nothing to do with what is happening in the region."
The exercises consist mainly of simulated live-fire drills off the northern coast of Luzon and on small Philippine islands between Luzon and Taiwan.
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Record numbers of Chinese military maneuvers in Taiwan
Taiwan detected a record 153 Chinese military aircraft around the autonomous island, according to official data released Tuesday, after China conducted a day of large-scale military exercises.
The planes were spotted in the previous 25 hours as of 6 a.m. Tuesday, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry said in a statement, marking the highest number ever for a single day.
China surrounded Taiwan on Monday with fighter jets, drones, warships and coast guard ships. Taiwan, in response, moved "appropriate forces" and declared "high alert" on its outlying islands.
The Taiwanese Defense Ministry also registered 14 ships from the Chinese Navy in the 25-hour period, down slightly from the 17 ships announced Monday afternoon.
Of the aircraft detected, 111 crossed the middle of the Taiwan Strait separating the island from mainland China, the figures showed.
Japan revealed Tuesday that it had expressed concerns to China about the military maneuvers and moved fighter jets around its southern island of Yonaguni.
"The government is closely monitoring the cited activities with great interest, and conveyed Japanese concerns to the Chinese side," Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiko Aoki told reporters.
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