00:00Fending off a mock attack from above.
00:09Philippine troops and their US allies launch air defence drills in Zambales
00:13on the Philippines' west coast facing the South China Sea,
00:17using, for the first time, the Marine Air Defence Integrated System, or MADIS,
00:22brought in from the States.
00:25A mobile weapon system built to take down hostile drones mid-flight.
00:30It's extremely important that we learn from each other,
00:34that we are able to discuss coastal defence strategies,
00:39that we as the United States Marines are able to bring our weapon systems here to the Philippines
00:45to aid in that coastal defence concept.
00:48The hundreds of soldiers here are being joined by thousands more
00:51for three weeks of annual joint U.S.-Philippines war games called Balikatan,
00:56meaning shoulder-to-shoulder, being held for the 40th time.
00:59Joint drills like this aren't new, but showcasing new weapon systems like this MADIS
01:05send a clear message that the Philippines and defence ally the U.S. are ready to face an evolving threat.
01:11A threat coming from China.
01:14Beijing claims the area off Zambales coast, along with most of the South China Sea, as its own territory.
01:20Though the waters and islands here are within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone,
01:26China has been increasingly sending military boats and aircraft to assert its claims.
01:30China's presence near here is rattling the fishing villages that dot the coast.
01:48Boat owners don't dare go out as far as the contested reefs for the daily catch anymore.
01:52Many, instead, charge tourists for trips around nearby bays to make ends meet.
01:58Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been pushing back against Chinese aggression,
02:19calling out Beijing's actions, bolstering defence and chasing greater military cooperation with the U.S.
02:25and other regional allies.
02:27This year, both Australia and Japan are joining the Balikatan drills.
02:31The United States is the cornerstone. It's the country's only treaty ally.
02:36But bringing in all of these nations, they see it as a way to support, I guess, their legal legitimacy and international backing.
02:45China has made clear its objections to this show of international solidarity,
02:50and it's been throwing its weight around the region,
02:53recently sending another carrier close to the Philippine coast and claiming control of an additional reef in the South China Sea.
03:01For the people living along the Zambalas coast, this rising territorial tension has come to shape their daily lives.
03:08Now, on their doorstep, the Balikatan live-fire drills mean boats are restricted to shore and incomes are affected.
03:16But there's also a sense of reassurance, as the nation's military, and its biggest ally, demonstrates their strength.
03:25Fu Hua Hong, David Santos and Rick Lowert in Zambalas, the Philippines for Taiwan Plus.
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