Nearly 18,000 troops are taking part in the annual exercises dubbed Balikatan, or 'shoulder to shoulder' in Filipino.
The Philippines and the United States launched their largest-ever joint military exercises on Tuesday , as the longstanding allies seek to counter growing Chinese assertiveness in the region
Balikatan will include military helicopters landing on a Philippine island off the northern tip of the main island of Luzon, nearly 300km from Taiwan, and the retaking of another island by amphibious forces. In recent months, Manila and Washington have agreed to restart joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea and struck a deal to expand the US forces' footprint in the Philippines, which has infuriated China.
At a joint news conference on Tuesday, both armies did not address questions about the Taiwan tensions and a possible role for the Philippines if China invaded Taiwan. About 50 leftwing protesters staged a rally outside the opening ceremony venue, calling on the Philippine government to scrap the exercises.
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