The US and Philippines armed forces launched Monday two-week joint naval exercises amid tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The exercises, dubbed Kamandag, an acronym in Filipino for "Cooperation of the warriors of the sea," will last until October 14 and will involve 2,550 US and 530 Filipino troops.

According to Reuters, the joint naval exercises will "include island-based exercises in amphibious landings, live fire and humanitarian assistance."

Japan and South Korea are also joining the exercises but as observers.

"Help secure the Philippines' future"

Last week, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Philippine counterpart Jose Faustino agreed to step up the two countries' defense cooperation.

At a joint press conference, Austin said that "by deepening our cooperation and modernizing our alliance, we can help secure the Philippines' future, tackle regional challenges and promote peace and security in the Indo-Pacific."

Austin called for cooperation between the US and Philippines in a wide range of areas, "including strengthening our Mutual Defense Treaty commitments, [and] in enhancing maritime cooperation, in building on our mutual defense posture, and improving interoperability and information sharing."

On his part, Faustino considered that it is "imperative to regularly update and exercise the Philippines-U.S. ... mutual defense concept plan, under the ambit of the Mutual Defense Treaty, based on our dynamic security environment."

The Philippines' proximity to Taiwan

It is noteworthy that US President Joe Biden met with his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The two discussed tensions in the South China Sea and affirmed they will work together to maintain freedom of navigation in the region.

Marcos's predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, frequently distanced himself from the US and even terminated at one point an agreement that allows Washington to maintain a military presence in Manila, but later retracted the decision, citing US donations of Covid-19 vaccines

The US is particularly interested in the Philippines due to its proximity to Taiwan, amid the ongoing tensions with China over the island.

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, part of the area that China set for its military exercises near Taiwan in August overlapped with the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.