US-Philippines drill fuels tension

Washington and Manila on Monday kicked off their second joint military drill of the year, and analysts warned that the move will bring more uncertainty to regional ties in the wake of the Huangyan Island incident.

The Philippines-US naval training exercises, scheduled from Monday to July 10 near Mindanao Sea, began with US vessels, including the USS Vandegrift, arriving at Makar Port in General Santos City in the southern Philippines on Sunday.

The drill involves 450 members of the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard, and 500 staff members of the US Navy and Coast Guard.