The Philippine troops will participate in Balikatan rehearsal with hundreds of American soldiers in the South China Sea in the next two weeks, when stressing with China increases.

About 700 US soldiers and 1,300 Philippines soldiers will participate in Balikatan rehearsals (shoulder to shoulder) to check the availability of the two countries in responding to threats such as natural disasters or terrorism, General Cirilito Sobejana

This year's rehearsal scale is smaller than the previous years due to Covid-19, General Sobejana, only 1/4 of the number of soldiers participating in previous exercises.

"This year's rehearsal combines activities on computers and in the field," Sobejana said.

USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Makin Island Margin USS Makin Island.

The US Embassy in Manila did not comment on this information.

The two ministers discussed the situation of the South China Sea, as well as the presence of a series of Chinese ships recently at the reef near Vietnam's existent island, according to the press secretary of the Pentagon John Kirby.

The Pentagon spokesman also confirmed the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier combat team and the USS Makin Island landfill was being implemented in the South China Sea.

Stress in the East Sea increases from 7/3, when hundreds of Chinese vessels anchoring at the first three-year beach in the winter island, belonging to the Spratly Islands of Vietnam, making long-term goods without catching,

The Philippines accused this force controlled by Chinese marine militants and asked to withdraw the fleet, but Beijing refused for the reason the ships were "anchoring to avoid bad weather".

The Philippines and the United States resumed Balikatan general exercises for more than a year after the Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte announced to cancel the visitor forces agreement (VFA), which allowed the US to deploy the Round-session military in this country.

The Philippines suspended the cancellation of VFA, but it highlights the complex relationship between the Philippines and the United States, in the context that China is trying to increase its influence in the region.