Given the rivalry between Washington and Beijing, joining the annual military exercise may risk being seen as picking the US, analysts say
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenRaissa RoblesPublished: 8:00pm, 15 Apr 2026Balikatan, the flagship annual military exercise between Manila and Washington, begins in the Philippines this month without a single neighbouring Southeast Asian member taking part, despite the drills’ growing scale and multinational reach.Analysts say that hesitation helps explain Balikatan’s place in the region: for some Asean members, it is a reassuring sign of US commitment, but joining it risks looking like a strategic choice in the sharpening rivalry between Washington and Beijing.“To at least some Asean countries that have regarded the US as a key anchor of regional peace and security, Balikatan could come across as assurance of Washington’s commitment,” said Collin Koh, a senior fellow and coordinator of naval and maritime affairs projects at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
However, joining the live-fire drills or other combat exercises “could result in a conundrum” by appearing to align too closely with Washington, he said.
