US Marines stormed the beach from the South China Sea on Friday in joint military exercises organized by forces from South Korea, Japan and the Philippines.
The exercises were conducted on an uninhabited beach in Zambales Province in the Philippines, Approximately 150 miles east of Scarborough Shoal, a rocky outcrop along the Manila coast.
US and South Korean marines take up positions after disembarking from a US Marine landing ship during a joint amphibious landing exercise with their Filipino counterparts on a beach facing the South China Sea in San Antonio, Zambales, October 7, 2022.
(Ted Eljeb/AFP via Getty Images)
The rocky reef made headlines in 2012 when China seized the area. It has since claimed to be affiliated with it, and its fishermen and coast guard have maintained a dominant presence.
The Kamandag exercise – a Philippine acronym for “sea warriors cooperation” – began on Monday and will have about 3,500 soldiers until Oct. 14, the Daily Mail reported on Friday.
Pictures showed US forces conducting joint amphibious landing exercises with soldiers from the region South Korea, Japan and the Philippines.
Marines from South Korea and the United States take up positions during a joint amphibious landing exercise with their Filipino counterparts on a beach facing the South China Sea in San Antonio, Zambales, October 7, 2022.
(Ted Eljeb/AFP via Getty Images)
Demonstrations of the landing craft, weapons and chemical agent detectors were shown in photographs depicting the exercises.
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The joint exercises are the first of their kind under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, who mirrored Manila’s stance toward the United States that was previously held by Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.
Duterte has canceled US exercises and shifted toward a more China-focused geopolitical focus.
South Korea (foreground) and US Marines participate in a joint amphibious landing exercise with their Filipino counterparts on a beach facing the South China Sea in San Antonio, Zambales Province, October 7, 2022.
(Ted Eljeb/AFP via Getty Images)
But in New York last monthMarcus told President Biden that he appreciates the US role in “maintaining peace in our region.”
The joint exercises come as tensions escalate in East Asia as North Korea ramps up ballistic missile tests and maintains tense relations between the West and China.
Philippine amphibious assault vehicles roll during a joint amphibious landing exercise with the US Marines on a beach overlooking the South China Sea in San Antonio, Zambales, October 7, 2022.
(Ted Eljeb/AFP via Getty Images)
The recent Chinese aggression over Taiwan has worried Western officials for months, especially after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei led to a significant increase in war games across the island.
Beijing has thwarted more regional countries in South China Seasuch as the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, which opposed China’s overt attempts to control international waters.
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