Philippines warns reduced US–South Korea drills could give China an opening

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has warned that China could use recent reductions in US–South Korea military drills to reassert itself in the Asia-Pacific.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Seoul Defense Dialogue, Teodoro said China was “very quick to exploit gaps”. He also accused Beijing of using democratic systems to spread “distortive narratives”, according to Al Jazeera.

Teodoro said Washington had given Manila “definite assurances” that US commitments to the Philippines remained unchanged. He did not detail the content of those assurances.

The US and South Korea shortened and reduced field training during last month’s annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises. The war games ended six days earlier than originally planned after US President Donald Trump ordered a “substantial reduction”.

The US, South Korea and Japan are due to conduct five days of Freedom Edge drills in waters near South Korea’s Jeju Island. Seoul describes the exercise as defensive and focused on North Korean nuclear and missile threats, while North Korea has condemned it as a show of strength.

South Korea’s possible contribution to US freedom-of-navigation operations in the Strait of Hormuz remains undecided. Any deployment would require approval through the country’s National Security Council, cabinet and National Assembly.