The Philippines, France and the United States held a multilateral maritime exercise off the coast of the Philippine province of Palawan on Thursday (April 25).

The drills were part of a three-week annual joint combat training exercise between the Philippines and the United States from April 22 to May 10, which involves more than 17,000 Filipino and American troops. France and Australia are taking part in some of these exercises.

The navies of the Philippines, France and the United States will participate in a “series of dynamic exercises aimed at bolstering maritime capabilities” over the next five days, according to a statement by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The drills come amid an escalating diplomatic row and maritime encounters between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea. The two are among a group of countries locked in a territorial dispute in the waterway, which is a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce.

(Reuters)