Philippines, US begin military exercise, Japan fully joins 1st time

MANILA (Kyodo) -- The Philippines and the United States on Monday kicked off an annual military exercise, with Japan's Self-Defense Forces fully participating for the first time in the large-scale drill aimed at enhancing defense interoperability among participating nations.

A total of 17,000 personnel from seven countries including Australia, Canada, France and New Zealand are joining the Balikatan, or shoulder-to-shoulder, exercise, which runs until May 8 with a series of war games mainly in the north and west of the Philippines.

Japan is sending 1,400 personnel, its largest-ever contingent to the annual event, and deploying three ships and two aircraft. The SDF plans to test-fire a Type-88 guided missile during a planned drill in Philippine waters facing the South China Sea.

Philippine military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner said during Monday's opening ceremony that the Balikatan sends a "clear and unmistakable message that security is shared and that partnership remains our strongest advantage."

Lt. Gen. Christian Wortman, commanding general of the U.S. Marine Expeditionary Force, said the United States is "excited" about Japan's participation and looks forward to "further strengthening these important relationships."

Col. Takeshi Higuchi of the SDF Joint Staff said in a press briefing that the Balikatan "will contribute to improving the integrated operational capabilities of the Self-Defense Forces and creating a security environment that does not tolerate unilateral changes to the status quo by force."

The exercise was held as China has been stepping up its activities to assert its sweeping territorial claims in the South China Sea, which overlap with those of the Philippines and other countries.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on Monday criticized Japan's participation in the Philippine-U.S. exercise, telling a press conference that the neighboring country "should be careful" about its conduct in the field of security.

The criticism comes after a SDF destroyer sailed through the Taiwan Strait last week, prompting China to accuse Japan of sending "wrong signals to Taiwan independence."

Since 2012, the SDF has held observer status and participated in the disaster response aspect of the annual exercise. The fields of the exercise it can participate has been expanded after a defense pact with the Philippines that allows reciprocal visits of the two nations' forces took effect last year.