Palace finds ‘nothing objectionable’ with Asean-China military drills

Malacañang finds “nothing objectionable” with China’s invitation to Southeast Asian nations to conduct military exercises and energy exploration in disputed waters without non-Asian countries like the United States.

As the United States is thousands of kilometers away from Southeast Asia, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Western country would be “out of place” if China’s intention was to forge stronger ties with neighbor countries.

“We find nothing objectionable to the fact that China would want to exclude non-Asians from the military exercises. I think the contemplation of Chinese authorities is to have military cooperation amongst neighbors,” Roque said in a press briefing in Bukidnon.

“Of course, the United States is ten thousand miles away, so if the intention is to build stronger relations between military forces who are neighbors, then the United States will be really out of place,” the spokesman said.

Likewise, Roque assured that the Department of National Defense (DND) will study the matter seriously.

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In a report by Agence France-Presse, a draft document has shown China’s intention to conduct exercises with neighboring countries in Southeast Asia.

Beijing reportedly suggested that China and the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) should carry out joint military exercises regularly.

However, the drills should not involve countries outside the region “unless the parties concerned are notified beforehand and express no objection”.   /vvp