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Philippines, Japan, US hold joint military drills in South China Sea

By Thomson Reuters Feb 26, 2026 | 8:46 PM

MANILA, Feb 27 (Reuters) – The navies of the Philippines, the U.S. and Japan trained alongside each ​other in the South China ‌Sea this week to ramp up cooperation among the military allies, the Philippines’ armed forces said on Friday.

Since 2023, the ‌Philippines ​has worked with a ⁠number of countries ⁠to assert its rights and maritime entitlements in the South China Sea. China claims most of the ​resource-rich waterway, rejecting a 2016 arbitral award that has voided its ⁠historical claims to the ⁠area.

(Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by ​Thomas Derpinghaus)