In the choppy waters of the South China Sea, China and the United States are entangled in a complex power struggle. The two major powers have accused each other of "militarizing" the South China Sea disputes. In the crosshair of this power struggle is the Philippines. As China's neighbor and the US' long-time ally, the Philippines has been strategic in its unique role.

According to China, the US is the main source of militarization in the South China Sea. This has resulted in disputes because of the US' regular deployment of advanced American aircraft and warships pursuing "freedom of navigation operations" in the region. So far, the US has conducted two major "freedom of navigation operations" in the South China Sea using guided-missile destroyers USS Lassen in October 2015 and USS Curtis Wilbur in January 2016. The US Navy has also strengthened its military presence in the region and its warships have made port calls to Asian allies, particularly the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Australia.

The US and the Philippines recently conducted their annual joint military exercise, called Balikatan 2016(Shoulder-to-Shoulder 2016). The primary focus of the drill was to help the Philippine military improve its capability for "territorial defense" against the backdrop of rising tensions in the South China Sea. This year's drill was the 32nd Balikatan between the two allies, but it also involved two other US military allies, Japan and Australia.