U.S., Philippines kick off largest-ever joint military exercise near disputed waters

April 11 (UPI) -- The United States and the Philippines commenced their largest-ever joint military exercise on Tuesday in a show of strengthening defense ties against an assertive Chinese presence in the region.

More than 17,600 members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military will participate in the annual Balikatan exercise, the largest number in its 38-year history and nearly twice as many personnel as last year, according to the US. Embassy in Manila.

The exercise, which runs until April 28, will include live-fire missile launches and a boat-sinking drill in the waters of the South China Sea, where the Philippines has been at odds with China over disputed territorial claims.

"The highlight of the exercise will be the combined joint littoral live-fire exercise, which aims to rehearse joint and combined tactics, techniques and procedures to execute maritime strike," Philippine army Maj. Gen. Marvin Licudine said at an opening ceremony in Manila.

The Balikatan exercise will also include training on maritime security, amphibious and aviation operations, cyber defense, counterterrorism, and disaster relief scenarios.

U.S. exercise director Maj. Gen. Eric Austin said at the opening that the combined training will ensure "we are prepared to respond to real-world challenges together."

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, a contention that an international tribune in The Hague rejected in 2016.

In a move to counteract Beijing's growing assertiveness in the region, Manila last week confirmed the location of four new military installations in the Philippines where U.S. forces will conduct training.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has looked to move closer to Washington after his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte hobbled the alliance in an effort to strengthen ties with Beijing.

The exercise kicks off one day after China concluded its own military drills near Taiwan, following Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Chinese naval and air forces simulated blockades and strikes against the self-governing island of 23 million.

The United States on Monday sent the USS Milius, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, on a freedom of navigation operation past the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

Beijing Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin warned during a press briefing Monday that the U.S.-Philippines military drills "must not interfere in South China Sea disputes, still less harm China's territorial sovereignty, maritime rights and interests and security interests."

After the launch of the Balikatan exercise, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin are slated to meet their Philippine counterparts for a ministerial dialogue in Washington on Tuesday.