MANILA -- U.S. and Philippine troops on Monday began large-scale military drills, in show of strength as China grows increasingly assertive in the disputed South China Sea and Russia's war with Ukraine rages on.
Some 3,800 Filipino and 5,100 American military personnel will train together in one largest iterations of the "Balikatan" (shoulder to shoulder) annual military exercise. The drills are a hallmark of the 71-year-old treaty alliance that has been tested by outgoing Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's efforts to forge closer ties with China.
