China's Anxiety in the South China Sea: A Tale of Two Exercises The largest ever joint military drill between the US and the Philippines has reached unprecedented scales this year.
The Balikatan exercise, which involves over 6,000 troops from both countries, has sent ripples across the region, particularly in Beijing. Chinese experts warn that this trend will only exacerbate regional instability.
The South China Sea has been a powder keg of tensions between major powers for years.