The Philippines and the United States began an annual military exercise Monday that will include a coordinated sail in the South China Sea and other drills set in the Southeast Asia country's northern provinces, amid China's aggressive acts against Philippine vessels in the sea.This year's Balikatan, or shoulder-to-shoulder, exercise, with nearly 17,000 Philippine and American troops participating, is the "most expansive" since its launch in 1991, said Lt. Gen. William Jurney, commander of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, and U.S. exercise director for Balikatan.Australia and France, …READ FULL ARTICLE
