3 May 2024

China's Military Ships Watch US and Allied Navies

Micah McCartney

Chinese warships have been keeping tabs on naval vessels as they take part in the largest U.S.-Philippine military exercise to date, within the Southeast Asian country's internationally recognized exclusive economic zone.

Chinese destroyer the Shenzhen and a Dongdiao surveillance vessel were tracked sailing four to five miles away from participating U.S., French, and Philippine ships about 38 miles off the coast of Palawan province, Captain Ariel Joseph Coloma, spokesperson for the Philippine military's Western Command, told local media.

This year's Balikatan exercise, Tagalog for "shoulder to shoulder," began last week and involves land, air and sea assets. It is the largest and most complex version to date, with some 17,000 military participants, including personnel from Australia and, for the first time, France.

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