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Asian Arms Race: US and Philippines begin South China Sea drills
BBC – Joint military exercises between the US and the Philippines are getting under way in the South China Sea, even as Manila remained locked in a stand-off with Beijing over a disputed shoal. The annual exercises, called Balikatan, are due to run until 27 April. This year they are taking place off Palawan, near parts of the South China Sea both Manila and Beijing claim. Meanwhile Philippine and Chinese vessels remain at the Scarborough Shoal, a week after the deadlock began. The Philippines said its warship found eight Chinese fishing vessels at the shoal – which both sides claim – when it was patrolling the area on 8 April. When navy personnel boarded the Chinese fishing vessels on Tuesday they found a large amount of illegally-caught fish and coral, it said. Read Article