Title: US and Philippine Allies Launch Multi-Nation Exercises Amidst South China Sea Tensions
Publication Date: [Insert Date]
Source: CNN
The United States military, its Philippine allies, and multiple international partners have commenced two weeks of multilateral exercises, named Maritime Training Activity Sama Sama 2023, as tensions rise over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. According to a US Navy press release, this is the largest iteration of the drills, with participants from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia joining the US and the Philippines.
The exercises, taking place off the Philippine coast, will encompass anti-submarine, surface, and air warfare drills, as well as land phases. Capt. Sean Lewis, commodore of the US Navy’s Destroyer Squadron 7, expressed the significance of the exercise’s name, stating, “In Tagalog, ‘Sama Sama’ is a phrase that means ‘together’ and there could not be a better phrase to capture the spirit of this exercise.” Capt. Lewis emphasized the importance of collaboration among nations to address security threats, increase innovation, and build a ready, united force for regional stability.
The exercises come at a time when stability in the South China Sea region is increasingly threatened by confrontations between Chinese coast guard and maritime militia units and Philippine vessels near disputed features. Vice Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr, the chief of the Philippine Navy, stressed the importance of the joint drills in countering threats together, from territorial defense to countering transnational crimes.
Meanwhile, recent incidents have fueled tensions in the region. These include Chinese water cannons blocking the resupply of a shipwrecked Philippine military outpost, a Filipino diver cutting through a floating Chinese barrier, and accusations of a Chinese coast guard ship pointing a “military-grade” laser at the Philippine coast guard, temporarily blinding its crew.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. likened Chinese behavior in the region to that of a schoolyard bully, emphasizing that it goes beyond the usual lunch money stealing and encompasses stealing one’s entire lunch bag, chair, and even school enrollment.
China, on the other hand, blames the Philippines for stoking tensions, stating that the maritime conflicts are predominantly caused by the Philippines constantly stirring up troubles and spreading false information. China asserts “indisputable sovereignty” over almost all 1.3 million square miles of the South China Sea, including features located hundreds of miles from mainland China. Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, and Taiwan also have competing claims in the region.
Maritime Training Activity Sama Sama 2023 involves more than 1,800 personnel from participating nations, primarily aboard warships. The exercises will be conducted in the Philippine Naval Forces Southern Luzon area, approximately 300 miles southeast of Manila and about 560 miles from the Spratly Islands.
Maritime Training Activity Sama Sama 2023 will continue until October 13, with its objective being the enhancement of cooperation and interoperability among the participating nations to ensure regional stability.
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