Philippines and US kick off joint drills amid China concerns

Philippine and US army soldiers salute as their national anthems are played during the opening ceremony of US-Philippines Arm-to-Army exercise at Fort Magsaysay, in Nueva Ecija province, north of Manila on Monday, March 13, 2023. - AFP

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Philippines March 13 (Reuters): The Philippines and United States launched army-to-army exercises on Monday, with a focus on enhancing the Southeast Asian nation's ability to protect and defend its territory from external threats.

The drills come on the heels of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's decision last month to expand the United States' access to his country's military bases - a move that has infuriated China since the Philippines is seen as a fulcrum of geopolitical rivalry between the two major powers.