美國菲律賓聯合軍演規模比去年擴大一倍

The United States and the Philippines on Monday launched their biggest joint military exercise in 15 years, with a focus on enhancing preparedness in the region.

This year's annual 10-day Balikatan exercise is twice as large as last year's, involving around 11,000 troops from both nations. The expanded drill is part of Washington's Pacific Pathways program, an effort to boost the U.S. military presence in the Pacific in the face of China's rapid territorial expansion in the South China Sea.

China's rapid reclamation activities around seven reefs in the Spratly Islands has alarmed other claimants, including the Philippines and Vietnam.

U.S. President Barack Obama has said Washington is concerned China is using its "sheer size and muscle" to push around smaller nations in the disputed sea.美國和菲律賓星期一開始舉行15年來最大規模的聯合軍事演習，重點加強地區防範。

今年舉行的這次代號爲“肩並肩”的年度軍演規模是去年軍演的兩倍，美菲兩國參與軍人約1萬1千人。此次擴大規模的軍演是華盛頓建立太平洋通道計劃的組成部分；美國努力加強在太平洋的軍事存在，以應對中國在南中國海迅速擴大的填海造島活動。

中國在斯普拉特利羣島七個島礁周圍的填海造島活動使其他幾個對該地區有主權要求的國家和地區感到不安，包括菲律賓和越南。

美國總統奧巴馬曾經表示，華盛頓擔心中國利用其“規模和實力”在有爭議海域欺負較小的國家。