The US and the Philippines have started joint air and sea patrols in the South China Sea, the latest step in the two allies’ efforts to strengthen military co-operation amid growing tension with Beijing in the disputed waters.
“This significant initiative is a testament to our commitment to bolster the interoperability of our military forces,” Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr wrote in a post on social media site X on Tuesday announcing the joint patrol, the first conducted with the US in seven years.
The move comes as Manila and Beijing are embroiled in an increasingly heated stand-off over the Philippine military’s regular resupply missions to its outpost on Second Thomas Shoal, a sandbank in the South China Sea that is also claimed by China.