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US and Philippines eye return to full military drills in 2022, will include US and UK as observers
- The US wants to ‘increase the complexity and scope’ of its exercises with the Philippines, says the US Indo-Pacific Command chief
- Britain, Australia and Japan are among the ‘like-minded’ nations that could rejoin the drills as observers, the Philippine military chief says
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The United States and the Philippines are planning to return to full-scale military drills in 2022 after two years and will invite Australia and Britain as observers, in another sign of the Biden administration’s push to deepen ties in the Indo-Pacific and counter China’s assertiveness.
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America wants “to increase the complexity and scope” of its military exercises with the Philippines, and plans to invite new partners to join the drills, Admiral John Aquilino, the US Indo-Pacific Command chief, said at a briefing in Manila.
The United Kingdom, Australia and Japan are among the “like-minded” countries that could rejoin the drills as observers, Philippine military chief Jose Faustino said at the same briefing.
China does not oppose other nations’ military drills, but hopes “they will not target any third party”, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Thursday at a regular press briefing in Beijing.
The ramp-up in military engagement comes after the US, Britain and Australia unveiled a security partnership last month that allows Canberra to acquire nuclear-powered submarine technology.
While some nations in Southeast Asia were concerned that the pact would drive a regional arms race, the Philippines was broadly supportive of the move but said that Manila wanted good defence relations with all countries in the Indo-Pacific.
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