Australian and Filipino forces, backed by U.S. Marines, practiced retaking an island seized by hostile forces in a large military drill Friday on the northwestern Philippine coast facing the disputed South China Sea.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and visiting Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles watched the mock beach landings, assaults and helicopter insertion of forces on a Philippine navy base with 1,200 Australians, 560 Filipinos and 120 U.S. Marines participating.
Totally hypothetical situation, not related to any current event or existing island under threat, right? Right?!
Just some fun on the island mate 🏝️🗿🥥🌴
Probably nothing
This is the best summary I could come up with:
On Monday, Australian, Filipino and American forces conducted air assault maneuvers in Rizal town in western Palawan province, which also faces the South China Sea.
Marles said in a separate news conference with his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro Jr., that the drills were aimed at promoting the rule of law and peace in the region.
In the latest flare-ups in the disputes, a Chinese coast guard ship used a water cannon on Aug. 5 to try to block a Philippine supply run at Second Thomas Shoal, where Filipino troops are stationed.
Washington renewed a warning that it is obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under attack, including in the South China Sea.
Two Philippine supply boats managed to pass the Chinese blockade on Tuesday in a tense confrontation witnessed by journalists from The Associated Press.
Aside from the China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping territorial claims in the waterway, a potential Asian flashpoint which has also become a delicate front in the U.S.-China rivalry.
The original article contains 579 words, the summary contains 181 words. Saved 69%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
