A DETACHMENT of US marines will remain in the Philippines as the country is set to host joint military exercises with Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, with their forces focusing on coastal defense and special operations as China remains assertive in the contested South China Sea.

Soldiers of the US Marines’ 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR) will remain in the Philippines for Exercise Kamandag — Filipino for poison — a multinational military drill from May 26 to June 6 across Luzon, following the recently concluded Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) drills.

“At the invitation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the forward-deployed marines with 3rd MLR will remain in the Philippines for Exercise Kamandag 9,” the US marine regiment said in a statement on Monday.

Exercise Kamandag, which started in 2016, is an annual exercise between the Philippines and US marines. This year, it will include forces from Japan’s Self-Defense Force, Republic of Korea’s Marine Corps and the UK Armed Forces.

The multinational military drills come on the heels of Balikatan, a three-week comprehensive combat rehearsal that saw about 14,000 troops from the Philippines and the US conducting exercises in Philippine areas near regional flashpoints such as the South China Sea and Taiwan and featuring advanced US missile systems.

The South China Sea has become a regional flashpoint as Beijing continues to assert sovereignty over almost the entire sea, seen as a vital global trade route that is believed to be mineral-rich.

Philippine and Chinese forces have repeatedly sparred over competing claims in the sea, with tensions flaring around disputed maritime features such as the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal.

Kamandag would see the Philippines and its foreign partners performing maritime security drills and special operations forces exercises near Batanes Islands in northern Luzon, facing Bashi Channel which separates Manila and Taipei, according to the 3rd MLR’s statement.

Beijing lays claim over Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force to annex the self-governed island. The Chinese military has routinely staged air and naval military drills near the island.

“The Batanes Islands have long been viewed as a chokepoint for national security interests in the Indo-Pacific region,” the 3rd MLR said.

Meanwhile, China’s State Council on Monday released a white paper detailing its national security doctrine amid a “world of change and disorder.”

“China has entered a critical period of building itself into a stronger country and rejuvenating the Chinese nation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernization,” an abstract of the document published by Beijing’s State Council Information Office stated.

“Facing the complex situation of deepening adverse effects brought by changes in the external environment and increasing internal risks and challenges, China pursues a national rejuvenation strategy amid global changes of a scale unseen in a century.”

The Philippines is seeking closer ties with countries that advocate for a rules-based order and recognize international law as Beijing maintains its claims over the South China Sea by deploying an armada of ships and sustaining a presence on man-made islands. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio