Philippines asks US for vaccine help as China tensions grow

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MANILA. April 12 (Bloomberg): The Philippines will restart military drills with the US on Monday as the South-East Asian nation seeks to speed up vaccine deliveries from its longtime defense ally.

Amid growing tensions in the South China Sea, more than 1,000 Filipino soldiers and 700 military personnel from the US will participate in the drills, Philippine military chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana told reporters by phone Sunday, adding it’s a smaller group compared to previous exercises, given the coronavirus pandemic.