The exercises were prompted by China's active actions in disputed waters.
Source: Ministry of Defence of Australia
Australian and Filipino Armed Forces, with the support of US Marine Corps, conducted exercises involving the capture of an island occupied by enemy forces during large-scale military exercises on the northwest coast of the Philippines, according to Sarbaz.kz citing The Diplomat.
President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and visiting Australian Minister for Defence, Richard Marles, observed the simulation of beach landings, assaults, and troop deployments to a Philippine naval base, involving 1,200 Australians, 560 Filipinos, and 120 US Marines.
On Monday, Australian, Filipino, and American troops carried out airborne exercises in the city of Rizal in the western province of Palawan, which faces the South China Sea.
These three countries are among the most vocal critics of China's increasingly aggressive and confrontational actions in disputed waters.
Marles and Lorenzana stated in a joint statement that they would be implementing plans for joint patrols in the South China Sea, which, according to the Australian Defence Minister, could commence in the near future.
They affirmed their support for the 2016 ruling by an arbitration tribunal in The Hague, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which largely invalidated China's claims to virtually the entire South China Sea and confirmed the Philippines' control over waters within 200 miles.
China refused to participate in the arbitration and continues to disregard the ruling.
In the latest escalation on August 5th, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel used water cannons in an attempt to block the Philippine supply route to the Second Thomas Shoal, where Philippine troops are stationed.