China warns US, Philippines, allies over joint military exercises in Asia-Pacific

BEIJING, April 20. /TASS/. The United States, the Philippines, and their military allies put themselves in the danger zone by conducting joint maneuvers in the Asia-Pacific region, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Guo Jiakun has stated. "We want to remind the relevant countries that interdependence in the security sphere could backfire on them and cause them harm," he emphasized at a briefing, commenting on the joint exercises. As Guo Jiakun clarified, unilateral actions and intimidation by military force have already "brought great disasters to the world." According to him, the states of the Asia-Pacific region "need peace and tranquility most of all, and least of all the involvement of external forces that provoke division and confrontation." The official representative noted that international cooperation in military security "should not damage mutual understanding and trust between countries in the region, nor undermine peace and stability." As he explained, such interaction "should not be directed against third parties or harm their interests." On Monday, more than 17,000 military personnel from the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and France began joint Balikatan exercises in the Philippines. Servicemen from the listed countries are training in air and missile defense techniques, as well as ensuring maritime security.