Anti-submarine drills set in South China Sea

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and regional allies the United States, Japan and Australia are planning anti-submarine drills in the South China Sea on April 7.

Reports by Kyodo News, as carried by Reuters, said the planned drill would mark the first such full-fledged exercise in the South China Sea for the navies of the four countries, and is likely aimed at demonstrating solidarity with the Philippines against China’s growing assertiveness, according to the news report, citing multiple sources.

No other details were given.

The report on the planned naval exercise came as the Philippines’ top security adviser and his US counterpart discussed over the phone on Monday the “recent spate of illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions” of the China Coast Guard and maritime militia in Philippine waters.

In their phone conversation, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan also vowed to keep communication lines open as President Marcos, US President Joe Biden and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida prepare for their inaugural trilateral security summit in Washington on April 11, National Security Council
 assistant director general Jonathan Malaya said yesterday.

The phone call came on the heels of a series of maritime run-ins and heated verbal exchanges between China and the Philippines.

During the call, Malaya said Año expressed his appreciation for the continued assurances and reaffirmation of the US of its ironclad commitment to its alliance with the Philippines.

President Marcos said last week there would be “countermeasures” against aggression by China’s coastguard, while Beijing accused the Philippines of treachery and reneging on a promise to tow away from the Ayungin Shoal the BRP Sierra Madre, an old naval vessel grounded intentionally to serve as outpost for Filipino troops.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea as its territory, policed by an armada of coastguard vessels, some more than 1,000 km away from its mainland.

In Manila, the Office of Civil Defense announced the launch of the 2024 Balikatan exercises by the third week of April up to the first week of May. The OCD also declared as fake an