US, Filipino forces start war drills in region facing Taiwan

By JIM GOMEZ and AARON FAVILA
Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Thousands of American and Filipino forces have begun one of their largest combat exercises in years. It will include live-fire maneuvers, aircraft assaults, urban warfare and beach landings in a showcase of U.S. firepower in the northern Philippines near the sea border with Taiwan. Officials said the annual exercises will run from Monday to April 8 with nearly 9,000 troops, navy, marines, air force and army troops, including 5,100 American military personnel, to strengthen the longtime treaty allies’ “capabilities and readiness for real-world challenges.” China will likely frown on the war drills given their relative proximity to Taiwan, which it claims as Chinese territory, but organizers said the exercises don’t envision any particular country as a target.