Yesterday the two countries began a fortnight of scheduled joint military exercises known as Balikatan ("shoulder to shoulder") which come amid high tension on the Korean peninsula and in the South China Sea, where the Philippines is in a territorial dispute with China. "Balikatan with its complex and comprehensive set of exercise is an important contribution not only in preparing both our armed forces to work together but also in building my country's own capacity to defend itself," Mr del Rosario said. About 8,000 American and Filipino soldiers are taking part in this year's exercise. REUTERS