February 7 ------ The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said several Chinese warships were monitored during its joint drills with the United States, Japan, and Australia in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
In a statement, AFP public affairs office chief Colonel Xerxes Trinidad said the recent Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) by the four nations was completed "smoothly" on Wednesday despite the presence of the Chinese forces. "[People's Liberation Army Navy] vessels were monitored operating at a distance, but they did not interfere with the MMCA," Trinidad said. "The exercise proceeded smoothly, and we are pleased with the positive outcomes and the cooperation shown by all participants," he added.
On Wednesday, militaries from the four countries joined the 6th MMCA in the West Philippine Sea to show their commitment "to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific." The Philippines deployed the BRP Jose Rizal and Philippine Air Force Search and Rescue (SAR) assets for the exercise. Australia deployed the HMAS Hobart (DDG39) and a P-8A Poseidon aircraft; Japan deployed the JS Akizuki (DD115); while the US deployed the USS Benfold (DDG65) and a P-8A Poseidon.
The activities were designed to enhance coordination and interoperability among the participating forces, according to the AFP. These included Communication Check Exercises (COMMEX), Maritime Domain Awareness and Contact Reporting, Division Tactics and Officer of the Watch Maneuver (DIVTACS/OOW), Photo Exercise (PHOTOEX), and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Exercises. "This activity demonstrates the strong cooperation and interoperability among our nations' armed forces. Conducted in accordance with international law, the MMCA ensures safe navigation while respecting the rights and interests of all states," AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said.
For Brawner, the MMCA showed the shared commitment of the four countries to uphold the principles of freedom of navigation, overflight, and other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. The Philippines referred to their claims in the South China Sea as the West Philippine Sea.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's massive claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis." China has refused to recognize the decision.
Source: gmanetwork.com
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