MANILA: Australia’s defense minister and his Philippine counterpart are meeting in Manila on Friday for talks spotlighting their concern over Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea, where Filipino forces were on alert after China deployed a larger number of coast guard forces closer to Manila’s military ship outpost in a fiercely disputed atoll.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles is visiting while Australian forces engage in their largest combat exercises with the Philippine military, involving more than 3,600 military personnel in live-fire drills and battle maneuvers.
Marles has been invited to witness a mock amphibious beach assault by Australian and Filipino naval forces over the weekend in a western Philippine town facing the South China Sea, Philippine military officials said.
After their meeting, Marles and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. will sign a joint statement of intent to further boost defense cooperation and affirm “their resolve to enhance interoperability, collective deterrence and long-term military readiness ... to promote regional security and stability,” according to Philippine defense officials.
The exercises called Alon, Tagalog for wave, will showcase Australia’s growing firepower. The drills will involve an Australian guided-missile navy destroyer, F/A-18 supersonic fighter jets, a C-130 troop and cargo aircraft, Javelin anti-tank weapons and special forces sniper weapons.
