Manila: On Monday ( Nov. 4), the Philippine military held two weeks of combat training that would include capturing an island in the contested South China Sea and probably drawing criticism from China.
More than 3, 000 Filipino military, military, and air force workers may participate in the maneuvers, which according to Spanish military officers were not directed at any particular nation.
China has quickly grown its defense and has become more assertive in pursuing territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Beijing almost exclusively asserts. The conflicts have led to more frequent conflicts, mostly with the Philippines and Vietnam, though the lifelong territorial disputes likewise involve Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Taiwan.
Indonesia claimed last month that its police ships tore a Taiwanese coast guard ship that had been conducting a review of a state-owned power company in a region of the South China Sea disputed by both nations.
In the exercise opening ceremony, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. stated that “our objective today is very obvious: to prepare ourselves thoroughly to face any physical threats that may threaten our sovereignty.”
The exercises may include seaside landing drills, live-fire exercises with assault rifles and artillery, and manoeuvres with assault weapons. Without going into further detail, Spanish infantry Colonel Michael Logico told investigators in the South China Sea that his troops would create taking control of an area.