Philippines warns China may reassert itself amid US-South Korea drill cuts

Manila defence chief says Washington gave ‘definite assurances’ that its commitments to the Philippines remain.

South Korea's K-2 tanks fire during a South Korea-US joint military drill at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea [File: Jung Yeon-je/Reuters]

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has warned that Beijing could view recent cuts to the joint US-South Korea military drills as an opportunity to reassert itself in the Asia Pacific.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Seoul Defense Dialogue, an annual multilateral security forum, Teodoro said that “China is very quick to exploit gaps”, when asked on Monday whether Beijing could seize on the move.

list 1 of 3 Alarm in South Korea as Iran dispute with Trump rattles a 72-year alliance

list 2 of 3 North Korea fires ballistic missiles as US-South Korea drills near end

list 3 of 3 South Korea says US cancelled upcoming joint marine exercises over Iran war

He added that Washington had given Manila “definite assurances” that the US commitments to the Philippines remained unchanged.

He also accused China of exploiting democratic systems to spread “distortive narratives”.

US General Xavier T Brunson, commander of the ROK/US Combined Forces Command (CFC), the United States Forces Korea (USFK) and the United Nations Command (UNC), shakes hands with a US Army soldier during a US-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise near the Demilitarized Zone separating South and North Korea, in Yeoncheon, South Korea [Kim Soo-hyeon/Reuters]

South Korea and the US shortened the duration of their annual joint military drills and scaled back field training exercises last month after US President Donald Trump ordered a “substantial reduction” in the annual war games.

The US-led Ulchi Freedom Shield war games ended six days earlier than originally planned.

Trump cited his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and linked the decision to Seoul’s refusal to join the US and Israel’s war on Iran at the time.

Last week, South Korea’s presidential office said it was mulling “contributions” to the US’s freedom of navigation ⁠in the Strait of Hormuz. The presidential office later clarified that nothing has been decided, as any military deployment by South Korea requires a decision by the country’s National Security Council, a resolution at a cabinet meeting, and consent from the National Assembly.

Trump said he planned to meet with Kim later this year. Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, later released a statement denying any ongoing communication between the US president and her brother and maintained that Washington continues to engage in a “hostile” policy towards her country, despite the warm relationship between the two leaders.

US, South Korea and Japan hold trilateral military drills

The US, South Korea and Japan are due to hold five days of military drills in waters east and south of South Korea’s Jeju Island starting on Monday.

South Korea’s military said in a statement that the Freedom Edge exercise is defensive in nature and meant to respond to North Korean nuclear and missile threats as well as promote regional peace and stability.

North Korea has previously slammed the trilateral drill as a “reckless show of strength” that proved its adversaries’ confrontational stance. Pyongyang has also said the drill contained a US intention to lay siege to China and exert pressure on Russia.

马尼拉国防部长表示，华盛顿方面已作出“明确保证”，表示其对菲律宾的承诺依然有效。

在韩国抱川市承津消防训练场举行的韩美联合军事演习中，韩国K-2坦克开火。[图片：郑延济/路透社]

菲律宾国防部长吉尔伯托·特奥多罗警告说，北京可能会将近期美韩联合军事演习的削减视为在亚太地区重新确立自身地位的机会。

在首尔防务对话（一年一度的多边安全论坛）间隙，特奥多罗周一被问及北京是否会利用这一举动时表示，“中国非常善于利用漏洞”。

列表 1/3：伊朗与特朗普的争端动摇了韩国与伊朗长达 72 年的联盟，韩国发出警报

列表 2/3：朝鲜试射弹道导弹，美韩联合军演接近尾声

韩国称美国因伊朗战争取消即将举行的联合海上演习（共3条，此为第3条）

他还补充说，华盛顿已向马尼拉做出“明确保证”，美国对菲律宾的承诺保持不变。

他还指责中国利用民主制度散布“歪曲事实的言论”。

美国陆军上将泽维尔·T·布伦森（Xavier T Brunson）是韩国/美国联合部队司令部（CFC）、驻韩美军（USFK）和联合国军司令，在韩国涟川附近，美韩联合渡河演习期间，他与一名美国陆军士兵握手。[金秀贤/路透社]

上个月，在美国总统唐纳德·特朗普下令“大幅削减”年度联合军事演习后，韩国和美国缩短了年度联合军事演习的持续时间，并缩减了实地训练演习的规模。

美国主导的乙支自由之盾联合军事演习比原计划提前六天结束。

特朗普称他与朝鲜领导人金正恩关系“非常好”，并将这一决定与首尔当时拒绝加入美国和以色列对伊朗的战争联系起来。

上周，韩国总统府表示正在考虑为美国在霍尔木兹海峡的航行自由做出“贡献”。总统府随后澄清，尚未做出任何决定，因为韩国的任何军事部署都需要国家安全委员会的决定、内阁会议的决议以及国会的同意。

特朗普表示计划今年晚些时候与金正恩会面。金正恩的妹妹金与正随后发表声明，否认美国总统与她哥哥之间存在任何沟通，并坚称尽管两位领导人关系友好，但华盛顿仍然对朝鲜奉行“敌对”政策。

美国、韩国和日本举行三边军事演习

美国、韩国和日本将于周一开始在韩国济州岛以东和以南的海域举行为期五天的军事演习。

韩国军方在一份声明中表示，“自由边缘”演习具有防御性质，旨在应对朝鲜的核导弹威胁，并促进地区和平与稳定。

朝鲜此前曾抨击此次三边联合军演是“鲁莽的武力展示”，证明了其对手的对抗姿态。平壤方面还表示，此次军演体现了美国意图围困中国并对俄罗斯施压。