Philippines, US launch largest-ever joint military drills<br /><br />The Philippines and the United States hold an opening ceremony in Manila for their largest-ever joint military exercises, as the longstanding allies seek to counter growing Chinese assertiveness in the region.<br /><br />Nearly 18,000 troops are taking part in the annual exercises dubbed Balikatan, or "shoulder to shoulder" in Filipino, which for the first time will include a live-fire drill in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely.<br /><br />Video by AFP<br /><br />Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe <br /><br />Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net <br /><br />Follow us: <br />Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook <br />Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram <br />Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter <br />DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion <br /><br />Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital <br /><br />Check out our Podcasts: <br />Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify <br />Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts <br />Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic <br />Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer <br />Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher<br />Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein<br />Soundcloud: https://tmt.ph/soundcloud <br /><br />#TheManilaTimes
