Monday started 12 days of joint military drills between the United States and the Philippines, called Operation Shoulder-to-Shoulder (Balikatan, a yearly joint exercise since the 1980s), involving some 8,000 troops, including Australians, conducted this year as a provocation operation against China. There are contingencies for forays into the South China Sea. Yesterday, Japanese naval vessels—two ships and a submarine, docked in Subic Bay, the former US naval base being returned once again to the US military. This is the first such port call for a Japanese submarine in 15 years. For the first time ever, the U.S. Defense Secretary will come in person to review the Balikatan exercises. Ash Carter is to arrive next week. Farther north, joint U.S. and South Korean military exercises continue until later in the month.
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