U.S. Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier Visits Manila
The U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington arrived off the coast of the Philippine capital on Thursday for a port visit, further indicating the strengthening of U.S.-Philippine defense cooperation.
Reuters reported that the Chinese Southern Theater Command stated that the Chinese air and naval forces conducted combat readiness patrols around the Huangyan Island on Thursday.
On the same day, the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington arrived off the coast of the Philippine capital for a port visit. This coincided with the entry of China's first aircraft carrier built on its territory, the Shandong, into Hong Kong.
The spokesperson for the George Washington aircraft carrier, Mark Landford, told AFP journalists via email: "The U.S. Navy and its allies and partners are committed to building a free and open Indo-Pacific region."
Commander Landford added, "These actions demonstrate our commitment to stability in the region, and we will uphold this commitment regardless of any current events," he said, adding that the Philippines is an "important long-term ally" of the United States.
Since President Ferdinand Marcos took office in 2022, Manila and Washington have deepened their cooperation. These two partner countries are connected through a mutual defense treaty dating back to 1951, and regularly hold maritime exercises in the South China Sea. In May of this year, the Philippines and the U.S. Coast Guard held their first joint military exercise in the waters near the South China Sea islands.
The Chinese "Shandong" aircraft carrier left the northern waters of the Philippines in April and arrived in Hong Kong after completing combat exercises in the Western Pacific on Thursday.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1836644512206852/
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