MANILA: A US warship laden with hi-tech fighter planes took centre stage atkey war games in the Philippines Thursday, brandishing military might asfresh tensions bubble in the contentious South China Sea.
The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, with at least 10 F-35B stealth jetson deck, stood guard as amphibious tanks rolled onto a Philippine beachlocated a short sail from islands also claimed by China.
The vessel was in the area for long-running US-Philippine military drills,which come as Manila pushes back against the recent presence of hundreds ofChinese ships near its Pag-asa (Thitu) island.
“We can’t disclose the official movements of the USS Wasp for securityreasons, but they have been operating in the South China Sea region… aspart of the exercise,” US spokeswoman Second Lieutenant Tori Sharpe toldreporters.
President Rodrigo Duterte had largely set aside the once-tense dispute overChina’s expansive claims to the resource-rich waterway, but told Beijinglast week to back off over the “swarming” Chinese boats.
The Philippines called the boats’ presence “illegal” and Duterte threatenedChina with possible military action if it touches the island.
China claims most of the sea, including waters and islands close to theshores of its neighbours. It has built artificial islands and militaryinstallations that the US warned could curtail right of passage bynon-Chinese vessels.
The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam have also all stakedclaims to various islands and reefs in the sea that is thought to have richpetroleum reserves deep beneath its waters.
The Wasp’s participation in the exercises represents “an increase inmilitary capability committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” theUS navy said in a press release on its arrival last week.
The two-week Balikatan (Shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises, which opened April1, include some 4,000 Philippine, 3,500 American, and 50 Australian troops.
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Duterte had threatened to quit the drills as part of his pivot away fromformer colonial master the US and toward China, but they have carried onafter being toned down for a few years.
As Duterte has adopted a friendlier stance with China, the US has moved toshore up its ties with Manila and assert its presence in the South ChinaSea.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pledged in March to come to thePhilippines’ defence in case of an “armed attack” in the sea, a clearassurance Philippines leaders had long sought.
On Thursday a spokesman from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairsre-asserted China’s claim to the island chain that includes Pag-asa, andsaid they had “consistently advocated the settlement of disputes in theSouth China Sea through negotiations with countries directly involved.”
The spokesman added that China-Philippine relations had “undergonetransformation, consolidation, improvement, and entered comprehensivestrategic cooperative relations.”
Duterte has been criticised at home as being too eager to grow ties withBeijing, and giving up too much leverage on the South China Sea issue.
China has been reserved in its comments regarding Manila’s recent uptick inassertiveness over the Pag-asa island, saying that it was working with thePhilippines and looking into the reports regarding Chinese ships. -APP/AFP
