China Warns Over Regional Drills

The exercises, which began on Monday, involve maritime strike drills on a remote Philippine island near Taiwan.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun described the maneuvers as a 'deliberate provocation' and a threat to regional stability.

Protesters in Manila burned an effigy of President Trump, expressing fears that the Philippines could be drawn into a US-led conflict.

The drills underscore Washington's commitment to countering Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific despite its ongoing military focus on the Middle East.