US, Australia, Philippines hold second joint drills in South China Sea this year

The US and Australia joined the Philippines for their second joint maritime exercises in the South China Sea this year, amid tensions with China in the disputed waterway.

The four-day drills from 9 April to 12 April brought together warships, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft in a series of coordinated operations to strengthen maritime defence capabilities, the Philippine military said on Monday.

The exercises underscored the "deepening defence cooperation among the three nations and their shared commitment to regional security", it said in a statement.

The Philippines deployed its FA-50 fighter jets, while Australia contributed P-8A Poseidon aircraft and the United States the USS Ashland, a dock landing ship.

The drills came ahead of the 20 April opening of the annual large-scale war games called Balikatan - or "shoulder-to-shoulder" - between Manila and Washington, which for the first time will include Japan as a full participant rather than an observer, alongside Australia.

The Philippines and China have traded accusations over a series of incidents in the South China Sea, including a recent encounter in which Beijing fired flares at a Philippine Coast Guard aircraft.

Zhai Shichen, spokesperson for China's Southern Theater Command (STC), said in a statement on Monday that the Chinese navy conducted a routine patrol in the South China Sea over the same four days the drills were held.

"In an attempt to stir up troubles in the region, the Philippines co-opted countries outside the region to organise so-called joint patrols, disrupting peace and stability in the South China Sea," Zhai said.

"Forces of the STC will resolutely safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and firmly uphold regional peace and stability."

Beijing has routinely opposed Manila's joint military activities with its allied partners in the South China Sea, saying such drills heighten tensions in the region.