Philippines Displays U.S. Military Hardware Amid China Tensions

TaiwanPlus News

During the joint annual Balikatan military drills, the Philippines and U.S. have shown off new tech, the Marine Air Defense Integrated System or MADIS, on the edge of the South China Sea. It's a demonstration of power as tensions with Beijing rise in the region.

Transcript

00:00Fending off a mock attack from above.

00:09Philippine troops and their US allies launch air defence drills in Zambales

00:13on the Philippines' west coast facing the South China Sea,

00:17using, for the first time, the Marine Air Defence Integrated System, or MADIS,

00:22brought in from the States.

00:25A mobile weapon system built to take down hostile drones mid-flight.

00:30It's extremely important that we learn from each other,

00:34that we are able to discuss coastal defence strategies,

00:39that we as the United States Marines are able to bring our weapon systems here to the Philippines

00:45to aid in that coastal defence concept.

00:48The hundreds of soldiers here are being joined by thousands more

00:51for three weeks of annual joint U.S.-Philippines war games called Balikatan,

00:56meaning shoulder-to-shoulder, being held for the 40th time.

00:59Joint drills like this aren't new, but showcasing new weapon systems like this MADIS

01:05send a clear message that the Philippines and defence ally the U.S. are ready to face an evolving threat.

01:11A threat coming from China.

01:14Beijing claims the area off Zambales coast, along with most of the South China Sea, as its own territory.

01:20Though the waters and islands here are within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone,

01:26China has been increasingly sending military boats and aircraft to assert its claims.

01:30China's presence near here is rattling the fishing villages that dot the coast.

01:48Boat owners don't dare go out as far as the contested reefs for the daily catch anymore.

01:52Many, instead, charge tourists for trips around nearby bays to make ends meet.

01:58Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been pushing back against Chinese aggression,

02:19calling out Beijing's actions, bolstering defence and chasing greater military cooperation with the U.S.

02:25and other regional allies.

02:27This year, both Australia and Japan are joining the Balikatan drills.

02:31The United States is the cornerstone. It's the country's only treaty ally.

02:36But bringing in all of these nations, they see it as a way to support, I guess, their legal legitimacy and international backing.

02:45China has made clear its objections to this show of international solidarity,

02:50and it's been throwing its weight around the region,

02:53recently sending another carrier close to the Philippine coast and claiming control of an additional reef in the South China Sea.

03:01For the people living along the Zambalas coast, this rising territorial tension has come to shape their daily lives.

03:08Now, on their doorstep, the Balikatan live-fire drills mean boats are restricted to shore and incomes are affected.

03:16But there's also a sense of reassurance, as the nation's military, and its biggest ally, demonstrates their strength.

03:25Fu Hua Hong, David Santos and Rick Lowert in Zambalas, the Philippines for Taiwan Plus.

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