AFP unfazed by China warning vs ‘Balikatan’ drills

(L-R) Major General Francisco Lorenzo Jr, PA, PH exercise director, General Romeo Brawner, Chief of Staff, AFP, Honorable Y. Robert Ewing, US Chargé d' Affaires, Major General Elmer Suderio, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, J3, and Lieutenant General Christian Wortman, Commanding General, I MEF, link arms shoulder to shoulder, during the opening ceremony of the 41st PH-US Balikatan Exercise at Camp Aguinaldo on Monday, April 20, 2026. With Australia, Canada, France, Japan, and New Zealand joining the drill, this year’s exercise brings together more than 170,000 personnel and underscores an expanded multilateral engagement aimed at rehearsing the defense of the Philippines, strengthening the alliance, and supporting a secure, free Indo-Pacific. —INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

The Armed Forces of the Philippines is unfazed by China’s warning that the Philippines’ joint military exercises with allies could heighten “division and confrontation” in the Indo-Pacific, Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad said on Tuesday.

Trinidad said the annual “Balikatan” exercises are a “sovereign” and defensive activity aimed at strengthening the country’s military capability, not targeting any specific nation.

“We are allowed to engage any like-minded states in furtherance of our national interest,” the Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. “These are not designed against any particular country. They are defensive in nature.”

China’s Foreign Ministry, through spokesperson Guo Jiakun, said on Monday that military and security cooperation should not come “at the expense of mutual understanding and trust” or harm regional peace and stability and warned against actions that could lead to “division and confrontation.”

Trinidad said Beijing’s remarks were “expected,” describing them as part of “deceptive messaging” and added that the military would not be deterred from holding the drills. “We are unfazed by that. We will not be deterred from performing our mandate,” he said.

Support indicator

Thousands of Filipino and American troops, along with forces from partner nations, including Japan, are taking part in the 41st iteration of Balikatan, which runs from April 20 to May 8. AFP chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. earlier said this year’s drills are the largest and most complex as of date.

Trinidad said the growing number of participating countries reflects support for the Philippines’ position on protecting its maritime domain, particularly in the West Philippine Sea, where tensions with China have persisted.

“The increasing number of participants … is a very strong indicator that partner nations support our stand when it comes to securing and protecting our maritime domain,” he said.

He added that maritime cooperative activities with allies would continue beyond Balikatan, both bilaterally and multilaterally, within Philippine waters.

The military is also prepared for possible escalation in the region, Trinidad said, noting that contingency plans are in place based on past encounters in the West Philippine Sea. “We are prepared for any eventuality,” he said.