Us-philippines Military Exercises

The Philippine defense chief said Friday that he told the U.S. military that plans for joint patrols and naval exercises in the disputed South China Sea have been put on hold, the first concrete break in defense cooperation after months of increasingly strident comments by the country's new president.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte plunged one of the United States' most important Asian alliances deeper into uncertainty on Wednesday by declaring upcoming US-Philippines military exercises "the last," and ruling out any joint navy patrols.

About 8,000 U.S. and Filipino troops began annual military exercises on Monday against a backdrop of tension over China's greater assertiveness in the South China Sea though a Philippine commander played that down as the reason for the drills.

A Philippine court today convicted a US Marine of killing a Filipina transgender woman in a red light district, in a case that reignited long-simmering anti-American sentiment in the country.

About 11,500 US and Philippine troops will take part in annual military exercises this month near disputed waters in the South China Sea, the Philippine military said today, while denying the drills were a show of force to China.

Thousands of American and Philippine troops launched large annual exercises on Monday after US President Barack Obama vowed "ironclad" backing for its Asian ally, locked in a tense maritime row with China.

China's military warned the United States on Saturday that US-Philippine military exercises have raised risks of armed confrontation over the disputed South China Sea in the toughest high-level warning yet after weeks of tensions.

The Philippine defense chief said Friday that he told the U.S. military that plans for joint patrols and naval exercises in the disputed South China Sea have been put on hold, the first concrete break in defense cooperation after months of increasingly strident comments by the country's new president.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte plunged one of the United States' most important Asian alliances deeper into uncertainty on Wednesday by declaring upcoming US-Philippines military exercises "the last," and ruling out any joint navy patrols.

About 8,000 U.S. and Filipino troops began annual military exercises on Monday against a backdrop of tension over China's greater assertiveness in the South China Sea though a Philippine commander played that down as the reason for the drills.

A Philippine court today convicted a US Marine of killing a Filipina transgender woman in a red light district, in a case that reignited long-simmering anti-American sentiment in the country.

About 11,500 US and Philippine troops will take part in annual military exercises this month near disputed waters in the South China Sea, the Philippine military said today, while denying the drills were a show of force to China.

Thousands of American and Philippine troops launched large annual exercises on Monday after US President Barack Obama vowed "ironclad" backing for its Asian ally, locked in a tense maritime row with China.

China's military warned the United States on Saturday that US-Philippine military exercises have raised risks of armed confrontation over the disputed South China Sea in the toughest high-level warning yet after weeks of tensions.