US, Australia, Canada and Philippines hold naval and air drills in disputed South China Sea

MANILA, Philippines — The United States, Australia, Canada and the Philippines conducted air and naval exercises Wednesday in a show of force they said aimed at promoting the rule of law in the disputed South China Sea, where China is increasingly asserting its territorial claims.

In an apparent response, China said it conducted air and sea combat patrols on the same day. The Philippine military said three Chinese navy ships monitored the four nations' maneuvers off the western coast of the Philippines, but did not provide further details.

Admiral Samuel Paparo, who heads the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and the top military and defense commanders of Australia, Canada and the Philippines said in a joint statement that they stand together to address shared maritime challenges and underscore our shared dedication to upholding international law and the rules-based order. They said they are conducting the two-day exercises to maintain free passage in the Indo-Pacific region.

China has long claimed much of the South China Sea, a key global trade and security route, and has vowed to defend its territorial interests at all costs. Its claims overlap with those of smaller coastal states, including the Philippines and Vietnam, hindering their access to traditional fishing grounds and disrupting oil and gas exploration in their internationally recognized exclusive economic zones.

Naval and air units of the participating countries will operate together, strengthening cooperation and interoperability between our armed forces, the commanders said. The activity will be conducted in a manner consistent with international law and with due regard for the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other states.

The Philippine military said Wednesday's drills included combined sea-passage maneuvers and communications exercises with assault helicopters flying low over navy ships on the high seas. An anti-submarine warfare exercise was also planned, it added.

Philippine Navy spokesman Rear Admiral Roy Trinidad said the exercises were not directed against any country but were a collective expression of support for a rules-based international order.

China said it conducted joint maritime and air combat patrols near Scarborough Reef, a disputed territory in the South China Sea, on Wednesday in apparent response to the drills. The Philippine military said it was not monitoring any Chinese combat patrols on the reef.

China's Southern Theater Military Command said in a brief statement that it is aware of the military activities disrupting the South China Sea and that they are under control. China regularly accuses the United States, the Philippines and other countries of undermining regional peace and stability through their military activities.

Paparo and other military commanders, Admiral David Johnston of the Australian Defence Force, General Jennie Carignan of the Canadian Armed Forces and General Romeo Brawner Jr. of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said their countries uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, and respect for maritime rights under international law.

They did not name China by name but said their countries upheld the 2016 arbitration ruling on the South China Sea disputes as final and legally binding on the parties to the conflict. The ruling invalidated China’s extensive claims in the South China Sea, but Beijing refused to participate in the arbitration initiated by the Philippines, rejected the ruling and continues to defy it.

Hostilities in the disputed waters have flared up particularly between Chinese and Philippine coast guards and navies over two disputed shoals since last year, renewing fears that the clashes could escalate into a broader armed conflict involving the United States, Manila's longtime ally.

After an alarmingly violent confrontation on June 17 over the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Reef in the South China Sea, China and the Philippines reached a temporary agreement last month aimed at preventing further clashes.

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