No US, non-Asian countries in joint exercises

Malacañang finds “nothing objectionable” to China’s proposal to exclude non-Asian countries, such as the United States, from joint military exercises and energy exploration with Southeast Asian nations.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the proposal would be studied seriously by the Department of National Defense.

“We find nothing objectionable to the fact that China would want to exclude non-Asians from the military exercise,” Roque said in a press briefing in Bukidnon province on Friday.

He added that China’s intention might be “to have military cooperation amongst neighbors.”

In a draft document cited by an Agence France-Presse report on Friday, China sought regular military exercises with Southeast Asian countries, but insisted on excluding countries from outside the region.

China also wanted joint oil and gas exploration with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the South China Sea, where China has overlapping claims with other countries.

Analysts saw the move as a bid to diminish US influence in the region.

Roque noted that the US might be left “out of place” if China wanted to beef up its relations with Asean.

“Of course the United States is 10,000 miles away. If the intention is to build stronger relations between military forces who are neighbors, then the United States will really be out of place,” he said.

At present, Manila considers Beijing’s invitation to hold joint military exercises and energy exploration as a “manifestation of intent,” he added.