U.S. and Philippines Launch Combat Drills as China Objects

The United States and the Philippines kicked off one of their largest combat exercises Monday as an annual display of allied military might aimed at deterring aggression in Asia, with China objecting to the U.S.-Philippine drills, saying they are aimed at containing its global rise.

Objective Facts

The United States and the Philippines kicked off one of their largest combat exercises Monday in an annual display of allied military might aimed at deterring aggression in Asia, despite Washington's preoccupation with the war in the Middle East. More than 17,000 American and Filipino military personnel will participate in the Balikatan exercise, with the large-scale drills expanding this year to include new full-time participants including Japan and Canada. Japan is deploying a 1,400-member contingent to the Balikatan this year, its biggest since joining in the past as an observer nation. China has objected to the U.S.-Philippine drills, saying they are aimed at containing its global rise. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also lay claims to the waters, a key global trade route, but territorial confrontations have particularly spiked between Chinese and Filipino forces in recent years. Japanese media and regional analysts describe this year's deployment as a 'significant shift' in Japan military policy, with personnel from Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces, as well as cyber and medical units participating.

Left-Leaning Perspective

Left-leaning Philippine activist groups expressed sharp opposition to the Balikatan exercises. The League of Filipino Students argued that the drills support foreign military interests in the region and increase geopolitical risks for the Philippines, claiming that expanding defense cooperation with the United States under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement could turn the country into a forward operating base for potential conflicts in the Asia-Pacific and place the Philippines at risk of becoming a 'target zone of war,' endangering civilian populations. Activist group Bayan highlighted that U.S. forces recently unloaded military equipment at Philippine ports and transported it using commercial barges, stating 'This clearly demonstrated that US military forces are free to roam the country and access various facilities for its military operations.' Progressive outlets and analysts framed the drills as dangerous escalation toward potential conflict with China. Liberation News characterized this year's drills as historic in scale, involving over 14,000 troops with advanced weapons and live-fire battle scenarios, arguing that Biden's permanent installation of the Typhon missile system in 2024 helped set the stage for this year's newly aggressive Balikatan drills. Liberation News emphasized asymmetrical military postures, noting that China has two foreign military bases total and zero military bases in the Americas, while the last time China fought a war was in 1979, whereas the U.S. has started several major wars and launched hundreds of military interventions since that year. Left-leaning coverage largely omitted discussion of China's gray-zone tactics and aggressive maritime incidents in the South China Sea, instead focusing exclusively on U.S. military buildup. The coverage did not substantively address Philippines' perspective on defending its own territorial sovereignty or its 2016 arbitral court victory against China's expansive South China Sea claims.

Right-Leaning Perspective

Conservative outlets and policymakers framed the Balikatan exercises as essential deterrence against China's aggression. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assured Philippine officials that the Trump administration would work with allies to ramp up deterrence against threats across the world, including China's aggression in the South China Sea, telling Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., 'Friends need to stand shoulder to shoulder to deter conflict, to ensure that there is free navigation whether you call it the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea.' The Washington Times and Military.com featured official statements emphasizing commitment to alliance stability despite Middle East distractions. Think tanks and analysts aligned with a deterrence-focused approach supported the drills. Manila-based analysts assessed that the drills 'send a clear and unambiguous message that the Philippines and its partners are prepared to defend the rules-based international order against coercion, intimidation, and unlawful claims,' while warning that joint energy exploration proposals with China could undermine the Philippines' sovereign rights and weaken the legal standing of the arbitral ruling. Conservative commentator Grant Newsham told Vision Times that Japan's participation reflects Tokyo's growing focus on Taiwan's defense, stating 'Tokyo considers this as related to Taiwan's defense.' Right-leaning coverage emphasized the historical significance of Japan's first full combat participation and framed it as Japan's necessary response to China's military modernization. However, right-leaning outlets did not deeply engage with Philippine domestic concerns about sovereignty or examine whether the scale of drills might be counterproductive to diplomatic solutions.

Deep Dive

Balikatan exercises are designed based on the needs of host Philippines and common interests with partner U.S.—for years, Balikatan focused on anti-terror or counterinsurgency exercises, but since Manila shifted focus to territorial defense, Balikatan has done the same. The Philippines has experienced intensifying confrontations with Chinese maritime forces. The Philippines has been engaged in months of confrontations with Beijing over disputed areas of the South China Sea, with repeated stand-offs and confrontations between Chinese and Philippine forces in recent years. The exercise coincides with the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China's expansive claims in the South China Sea, with Philippine military officials directly linking the military drills to the protection of Manila's sovereign rights, stating 'Our battle cry is still "Our seas, our rights, and our future."' Both perspectives contain valid concerns: Progressives correctly identify that large military exercises near Taiwan and in the South China Sea create flashpoints for miscalculation, and they raise legitimate questions about how unilateral military actions affect diplomatic negotiations. However, they underestimate the degree to which Philippines itself requested these exercises for its own territorial defense and requested U.S. assistance in light of Chinese pressure. Conservatives correctly identify that China's gray-zone coercion has escalated and that the Philippines has exhausted diplomatic remedies, yet they sometimes overstate how much deterrence alone can resolve structural competition over maritime territory. Colonel Takeshi Higuchi of Tokyo's joint staff told Japanese media the drills would 'contribute to creating a security environment that tolerates no attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force,' reflecting Japan's strategic interest in preventing Chinese fait accompli tactics. The critical unresolved question is whether expanded military coordination in the region reduces or increases the likelihood of miscalculation. While diplomacy with China continues, Manila is leaning more towards sustained US–Philippines partnership, with both sides pledging to strengthen the alliance to re-establish deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, with this commitment expected to encompass more than 500 military and security activities throughout the year. The Philippines faces a genuine strategic dilemma: it must visibly strengthen military capacity to deter coercion, but massive exercises near Chinese-claimed areas may paradoxically reduce space for negotiated settlement of disputes.

Regional Perspective

Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuya Endo publicly stated that the Balikatan exercises from April 20 to May 8 are not a hostile act against any country, particularly China, saying the exercises are conducted 'for joint exercise for peace and stability in the region' and are not 'targeted at any other country.' However, this official diplomatic framing contrasts with substantive Japanese military announcements. Japanese reporting, including Nippon.com, emphasized that the Balikatan exercise aims to send a warning to China, which is expanding its maritime presence, with Japanese media describing Japan's participation as a 'significant shift' in military policy. Colonel Takeshi Higuchi of Tokyo's joint staff told Japanese media the drills would 'contribute to creating a security environment that tolerates no attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force.' Philippine regional media coverage emphasized territorial sovereignty and Beijing's assertiveness. Rappler noted that tensions in the Taiwan Strait continue to threaten the region, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. saying the Philippines would inevitably be dragged into a war over Taiwan thanks primarily to its sheer proximity, and noting that Marcos' home province of Ilocos Norte is less than an hour's flight away from Taiwan. Philippine analysis acknowledged that while officials state the drills are not directed toward a specific adversary, 'it's hard to miss the China-shaped elephant in the room,' especially when military itself highlights activities in northern and western seaboards, where in the West Philippine Sea, Chinese maritime forces continue to harass Philippine vessels in defense of its territorial claims since deemed invalid by an international tribunal. Chinese official responses were notably more forceful in public statements. China's Foreign Ministry expressed that the expanded drills would 'ruffle some feathers,' with spokesperson Guo Jiakun stating 'unilateralism and military bullying have brought profound disasters to the world' and that 'the overall situation of development and stability in the Asia-Pacific region has not come easily and must not be disrupted by anyone.' Regional media from outside the Philippines, Japan, and China (such as South China Morning Post) focused on the strategic realignment signal, with analysis noting that Southeast Asian countries are hesitant to formally join despite the drills' scale, viewing Balikatan as a test of alignment in U.S.-China competition.

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U.S. and Philippines Launch Combat Drills as China Objects

The United States and the Philippines kicked off one of their largest combat exercises Monday as an annual display of allied military might aimed at deterring aggression in Asia, with China objecting to the U.S.-Philippine drills, saying they are aimed at containing its global rise.

Apr 20, 2026
What's Going On

The United States and the Philippines kicked off one of their largest combat exercises Monday in an annual display of allied military might aimed at deterring aggression in Asia, despite Washington's preoccupation with the war in the Middle East. More than 17,000 American and Filipino military personnel will participate in the Balikatan exercise, with the large-scale drills expanding this year to include new full-time participants including Japan and Canada. Japan is deploying a 1,400-member contingent to the Balikatan this year, its biggest since joining in the past as an observer nation. China has objected to the U.S.-Philippine drills, saying they are aimed at containing its global rise. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also lay claims to the waters, a key global trade route, but territorial confrontations have particularly spiked between Chinese and Filipino forces in recent years. Japanese media and regional analysts describe this year's deployment as a 'significant shift' in Japan military policy, with personnel from Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces, as well as cyber and medical units participating.

Left says: Philippine leftist groups argued that Balikatan supports foreign military interests and could turn the Philippines into a forward operating base for potential conflicts, placing the nation at risk of becoming a 'target zone of war.'
Right says: The Trump administration's Defense Secretary asserted that allies need to 'stand shoulder to shoulder' to ensure free navigation in the South China Sea against Chinese aggression.
Region says: Japanese officials stated the drills are not targeted at any specific country and are for 'peace and stability in the region,' while Japanese reporting emphasized that the Balikatan exercise aims to send a warning to China, which is expanding its maritime presence.
✓ Common Ground
Both the Philippines and the United States, as well as its partner militaries, state that the drills are not directed towards a specific adversary or threat, but as one analyst noted, 'it's hard to miss the China-shaped elephant in the room, especially when the military itself highlights activities in the northern and western seaboards of the country.'
Several voices across the spectrum acknowledge that China's gray-zone tactics and coercive activities in the South China Sea represent a genuine regional security challenge that motivates the drills, even if they disagree on whether military exercises are the appropriate response.
Both security-focused analysts and defense experts agree that Japan's expanded participation helps strengthen regional coordination in 'countering Chinese gray zone operations and strengthening Southeast Asian states' maritime domain awareness.'
Both mainstream analysts and some progressive commentators recognize that the Philippines faces a difficult balancing act between defending its territory against Chinese maritime assertions and pursuing diplomatic solutions, even if they weight these priorities differently.
Objective Deep Dive

Balikatan exercises are designed based on the needs of host Philippines and common interests with partner U.S.—for years, Balikatan focused on anti-terror or counterinsurgency exercises, but since Manila shifted focus to territorial defense, Balikatan has done the same. The Philippines has experienced intensifying confrontations with Chinese maritime forces. The Philippines has been engaged in months of confrontations with Beijing over disputed areas of the South China Sea, with repeated stand-offs and confrontations between Chinese and Philippine forces in recent years. The exercise coincides with the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China's expansive claims in the South China Sea, with Philippine military officials directly linking the military drills to the protection of Manila's sovereign rights, stating 'Our battle cry is still "Our seas, our rights, and our future."'

Both perspectives contain valid concerns: Progressives correctly identify that large military exercises near Taiwan and in the South China Sea create flashpoints for miscalculation, and they raise legitimate questions about how unilateral military actions affect diplomatic negotiations. However, they underestimate the degree to which Philippines itself requested these exercises for its own territorial defense and requested U.S. assistance in light of Chinese pressure. Conservatives correctly identify that China's gray-zone coercion has escalated and that the Philippines has exhausted diplomatic remedies, yet they sometimes overstate how much deterrence alone can resolve structural competition over maritime territory. Colonel Takeshi Higuchi of Tokyo's joint staff told Japanese media the drills would 'contribute to creating a security environment that tolerates no attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force,' reflecting Japan's strategic interest in preventing Chinese fait accompli tactics.

The critical unresolved question is whether expanded military coordination in the region reduces or increases the likelihood of miscalculation. While diplomacy with China continues, Manila is leaning more towards sustained US–Philippines partnership, with both sides pledging to strengthen the alliance to re-establish deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, with this commitment expected to encompass more than 500 military and security activities throughout the year. The Philippines faces a genuine strategic dilemma: it must visibly strengthen military capacity to deter coercion, but massive exercises near Chinese-claimed areas may paradoxically reduce space for negotiated settlement of disputes.

◈ Tone Comparison

Left-leaning coverage emphasizes 'escalation,' 'militarism,' and 'foreign interests,' while right-leaning coverage emphasizes 'commitment,' 'deterrence,' and 'alliance strength.' Activist groups used the phrase 'target zone of war,' while defense officials used 'ironclad commitment.' Both sides invoked regional security but framed the drills' effects oppositely.