US-Philippine military exercise ‘prepares for conflict’

The United States and the Philippines are engaged in the greatest military exercise of all time. The exercise simulates, among other things, the liberation of an island, in which the navy and the air force are involved. “This shows that the risk of conflict in the region is only increasing,” says strategic analyst Paul van Hooft of The Hague Center for Strategic Studies.

Exercise Balikatan, Filipino for “shoulder to shoulder”, began last week and will continue for more than a week. About 17,000 soldiers are taking part. “The larger purpose of the exercise is a message to China,” says Van Hooft. “It’s a signal that America will continue to protect the Philippines, which is also the result of a defense treaty between the two countries.”

Prepare for conflict

However, an exercise like this is not new, the armies of the two countries train every year. But this exercise is the largest ever, while last year’s exercise was also. “It shows that the preparation for conflict in the region is only increasing.”

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The Philippines plays a dual role here, says Van Hooft. The Philippines does not want to offend either country. They want to maintain good economic ties with China and at the same time they depend on the United States for their security. In this regard, the Philippines is in a “tough divide”, says Van Hooft. “Like many other countries in this region.”

Taiwan

At the same time, South Korea, Japan and America are also engaged in military exercise. A US Navy vessel passed through the Taiwan Strait. According to the Americans, this is also a regular exercise, but it is clear that the United States wants to indicate that it is a major player in the field. “That’s exactly what it’s all about,” Van Hooft points out. “They want to protect an ally, they want to show that they will react strongly to provocations. But it is getting more and more intense and the risk of a conflict is also increasing.

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The question is how China will react to the show of military force in the region. “China will again say it’s provocation, while America will say it’s regular exercise again. How exactly it will be understood is difficult to estimate