US and Philippines open joint naval exercise Samasama

US and Philippine forces at the opening ceremony of the exercise on October 2.

AFP news agency reported that on October 2, the US and the Philippines opened their annual joint naval exercise, with the participation of more than 1,000 sailors from the two countries.

The Samasama exercise took place off Manila and southern Luzon, the Philippines' main island, amid growing concerns about China in the South China Sea.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the exercise in Manila, Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, commander of the US 7th Fleet, said the right of all nations to maintain their sovereignty "is under attack every day on the high seas".

The “rules-based international order” that has ensured regional peace for decades has been “torn apart and challenged to benefit not all countries but one country,” he said.

“There is no better way to ensure sovereignty and security than to have ships operating together,” said Mr. Thomas. He said it was important to maintain the right to freely pass through the area, “without worrying about being attacked” or “being threatened.”

According to Philippine Navy Commander Toribio Adaci, the Samasama exercise helps the parties "face a range of threats together".

US Navy officials said the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey will participate in the exercise over the next 12 days, along with ammunition ships and P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

The exercise also involved a guided-missile destroyer from the Philippine Navy, a destroyer from the Japan Self-Defense Force, and the Royal Canadian Navy's HMCS Vancouver.

Britain, Japan, Canada, France and Australia sent staff to participate in the conference room drills as part of the exercise. New Zealand and Indonesia also sent observers.

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