China Criticizes Joint Military Drills as 'Playing with Fire,' Philippines Responds: A Sovereign Act
The Philippine military countered China's criticism of the large-scale 'Balikatan' joint military exercises with the US and like-minded nations, stating that the drills are a sovereign act and not aimed at any specific country.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 21, 2026 at 19:11
- 🔍 Collected: April 21, 2026 at 19:31 (20 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 21:10 (1h 38m after Collected)
Central News
(Central News Agency reporter Lin Hsing-chien, Manila, 21st) The Philippines, the US, and like-minded countries launched the large-scale joint military exercise 'Balikatan,' which China criticized as "playing with fire." In response, the Philippine military stated that military exercises are sovereign acts and not targeted at any country.
The 'Balikatan' (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercise began on April 20th and is scheduled to continue until May 8th. In addition to the Philippines and the US, Japan, Canada, Australia, France, and New Zealand are also participating, mobilizing over 17,000 personnel. The exercise area covers the South China Sea and northern Philippines near Taiwan.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jia-kun yesterday criticized that the Asia-Pacific region does not need external forces to create division and confrontation, stating, "We want to remind relevant countries that blindly binding themselves together on security will only 'play with fire' and backfire on themselves."
Regarding China's accusation, Philippine Navy spokesperson for South China Sea affairs Roy Vincent Trinidad responded today that military exercises are "sovereign acts," and the Philippines has the right to cooperate with like-minded countries to safeguard national interests.
Trinidad pointed out that the 'Balikatan' exercise is an important part of the Philippine military's modernization and defense diplomacy, aimed at enhancing the government forces' multi-faceted operational capabilities. It is defensive in nature and not targeted at any specific country.
He emphasized that the Philippines is merely "protecting what lawfully belongs to us, with no intention of claiming what does not belong to us."
Trinidad added that the Philippines has not interfered with regional peace; on the contrary, the "Chinese Communist Party's" continuous war rhetoric, rapid military expansion, and "illegal presence, intimidation, and infringement actions" in the South China Sea are the main causes of regional instability.
Regarding the situation in the South China Sea, foreign media reported last week that China had blocked the entrance to Scarborough Shoal (also known as Huangyan Island or Democracy Reef) by deploying vessels and erecting barriers. Trinidad said that the military had been informed and would support units such as the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries in responding to the situation.
Furthermore, Trinidad pointed out that China's aggressive actions in the South China Sea are prompting the Philippines to accelerate its military transformation from internal security to external defense. "It is precisely because of these actions (by China) that we are promoting military modernization and giving birth to the 'Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept' (CADC)." (Edited by Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150421
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(Central News Agency reporter Lin Hsing-chien, Manila, 21st) The Philippines, the US, and like-minded countries launched the large-scale joint military exercise 'Balikatan,' which China criticized as "playing with fire." In response, the Philippine military stated that military exercises are sovereign acts and not targeted at any country.
The 'Balikatan' (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercise began on April 20th and is scheduled to continue until May 8th. In addition to the Philippines and the US, Japan, Canada, Australia, France, and New Zealand are also participating, mobilizing over 17,000 personnel. The exercise area covers the South China Sea and northern Philippines near Taiwan.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jia-kun yesterday criticized that the Asia-Pacific region does not need external forces to create division and confrontation, stating, "We want to remind relevant countries that blindly binding themselves together on security will only 'play with fire' and backfire on themselves."
Regarding China's accusation, Philippine Navy spokesperson for South China Sea affairs Roy Vincent Trinidad responded today that military exercises are "sovereign acts," and the Philippines has the right to cooperate with like-minded countries to safeguard national interests.
Trinidad pointed out that the 'Balikatan' exercise is an important part of the Philippine military's modernization and defense diplomacy, aimed at enhancing the government forces' multi-faceted operational capabilities. It is defensive in nature and not targeted at any specific country.
He emphasized that the Philippines is merely "protecting what lawfully belongs to us, with no intention of claiming what does not belong to us."
Trinidad added that the Philippines has not interfered with regional peace; on the contrary, the "Chinese Communist Party's" continuous war rhetoric, rapid military expansion, and "illegal presence, intimidation, and infringement actions" in the South China Sea are the main causes of regional instability.
Regarding the situation in the South China Sea, foreign media reported last week that China had blocked the entrance to Scarborough Shoal (also known as Huangyan Island or Democracy Reef) by deploying vessels and erecting barriers. Trinidad said that the military had been informed and would support units such as the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries in responding to the situation.
Furthermore, Trinidad pointed out that China's aggressive actions in the South China Sea are prompting the Philippines to accelerate its military transformation from internal security to external defense. "It is precisely because of these actions (by China) that we are promoting military modernization and giving birth to the 'Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept' (CADC)." (Edited by Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150421
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force for protecting press freedom.
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All text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.