Philippines warns China may reassert itself amid US-South Korea drill cuts

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has cautioned that Beijing could view recent cuts to the joint US-South Korea military drills as an opportunity to reassert itself in the Asia Pacific.

Key points

• Last week, South Korea's presidential office remarked it was mulling "contributions" to the US's freedom of navigation ⁠in the Strait of Hormuz.
• He continued that Washington had given Manila "definite assurances" that the US commitments to the Philippines remained unchanged.
• The US-led Ulchi Freedom Shield war games concluded six days earlier than originally planned.
• North Korea has previously slammed the trilateral drill as a "reckless show of strength" that proved its adversaries' confrontational stance.
• Trump remarked he planned to meet with Kim afterwards this year.

When asked on Monday whether Beijing could seize on the move, speaking on the sidelines of the Seoul Defense Dialogue, an annual multilateral security forum, Teodoro remarked that "China is very quick to exploit gaps".

He additionally accused China of exploiting democratic systems to spread "distortive narratives".

South Korea and the US shortened the duration of their annual joint military drills and scaled back field training exercises last month after US President Donald Trump ordered a "substantial reduction" in the annual war games.

In practice, the US-led Ulchi Freedom Shield war games concluded six days earlier than originally planned.

Trump cited his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and linked the decision to Seoul's refusal to join the US and Israel's war on Iran at the time.

Last week, South Korea's presidential office remarked it was mulling "contributions" to the US's freedom of navigation ⁠in the Strait of Hormuz. As any military deployment by South Korea requires a decision by the country's National Security Council, a resolution at a cabinet gathering, and consent from the National Assembly, the presidential office afterwards clarified that nothing has been decided.

Trump remarked he planned to meet with Kim afterwards this year. Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, afterwards issued a statement denying any ongoing communication between the US president and her brother and maintained that Washington continues to engage in a "hostile" policy towards her country, despite the warm relationship between the two leaders. US, South Korea and Japan hold trilateral military drills.

Notably, the US, South Korea and Japan are due to hold five days of military drills in waters east and south of South Korea's Jeju Island starting on Monday.

South Korea's military remarked in an official note that the Freedom Edge exercise is defensive in nature and meant to respond to North Korean nuclear and missile threats as well as promote regional peace and stability.

North Korea has previously slammed the trilateral drill as a "reckless show of strength" that proved its adversaries' confrontational stance. Pyongyang has additionally stated the drill contained a US intention to lay siege to China and exert pressure on Russia.

For now, philippines warns China may reassert itself amid US remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.