Manila, which has a common defence alliance with Washington, has been engaged in times of clashes with Beijing over disputed areas of the South China Sea.
Beijing claims nearly the entirety of the important lake, despite an global decision that its claim has no validity.
United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Manila last week and said that “friends need to stand shoulder to shoulder to deter issue to ensure that there’s completely routing” in the South China Sea.
At this month’s Balikatan exercises, US and Philippine troops will conduct a “full battle test” of” all of the plans, all of the doctrines, all of the procedures that ( they ) have developed in the past years”, Brawner said.
” It’s extremely important that we prepare for any eventuality”, he added.
Brawner alleged that” socialist China is now conducting united front plays in our state”.
” They are now infiltrating our institutions, our institutions, our businesses, our temples, yet our ranks in the martial”, he said without giving details.
He said the Philippines was furthermore experiencing” cyber war, data war, cognitive war, political warfare”.
The Chinese ambassador did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Philippines has in recent days made a series of prosecutions of Taiwanese suspects accused of conducting surveillance on military camps and Filipino marine and coast guard boats.