MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and the United States kicked off on Monday one of their biggest “Balikatan” (shoulder-to-shoulder) joint military exercises, with officials expecting Beijing to make a certain presence as it increasingly asserts its maritime claims in the South China Sea. For this year’s 39th iteration of the Balikatan drills, which will run […]...Keep on reading: ‘Balikatan’ on; AFP sees China shadowing drills