The United States and 10 Southeast Asian countries kicked off maritime drills. They are part of a joint exercise extending into the flashpoint South China Sea with eight warships, four aircraft and more than a thousand personnel.
This is the first of its kind and has been dubbed the ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise (AUMX) between the regional bloc and Washington and is expected to last five days. The drill began at Sattahip Naval Base in Thailand and ending in Singapore.
The drill is set to strengthen the navies of the participating countries as well as their ability to defend themselves in a region that is marred y political tensions mainly triggered by Chinese claim over majority of the South China Sea waters.
The drills come at a time of stepped-up U.S. engagement in the region and tensions between Beijing and Southeast Asian nations over the South China Sea, parts of which are claimed by ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines.
