US, Philippines reinforce alliance with joint military drills

Philippine, US and South Korean navies participate in amphibious landing drills during a joint military exercise at a naval station in Zambales province, Philippines on Oct 7, 2022. - Reuters

SAN ANTONIO, Philippines (AFP): US and Philippine marines stormed a beach near a disputed rocky outcrop in the South China Sea on Friday (Oct 7) as part of joint military drills involving more than 3,500 troops.

It is the first time the annual naval exercises have been held under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, who has expressed strong support for the decades-old alliance, after rocky relations under his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte.