Why have the United States and the Philippines held joint naval drills in the South China Sea?

The United States and the Philippines have held joint naval drills in the South China Sea primarily to check Chinese encroachment and support the Philippines in maintaining order within its exclusive economic zone.12

As tensions have intensified in the 2020s, characterized by increased maritime confrontations and aggressive actions by Chinese coast guard vessels, the United States has sought to uphold its "ironclad" commitment to its ally. While the U.S. maintains official neutrality regarding specific territorial claims, it actively opposes China’s expansive maritime assertions, which conflict with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. By conducting these military exercises and freedom-of-navigation operations, the United States aims to protect national interests in the Pacific and deter potential miscalculations in a region where China’s ambitions have deeply alienated neighboring countries.123