The Philippines, the United States, Canada and Australia jointly staged naval and air exercises in the South China Sea on Wednesday, as Beijing launched its own patrols in the region.

The South China Sea is disputed between China and the Philippines, as well as Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

The conflict has reached a flashpoint between Beijing and Manila in recent months, with a number of collisions and confrontations occurring on the water.

A spokesperson for the Philippine navy said the exercises were not directed at any country but instead are "a collective expression of support for a rules-based international order."

US, Philippines test military interoperability

The US routinely conducts freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea, nearly the entirety of which China claims as its own territory.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, the Philippine, US, Canadian and Australian commanders said their two-day exercises "underscore our shared dedication to upholding international law and the rules-based order."

"The naval and air force units of participating nations will operate together, enhancing cooperation and interoperability between our armed forces," they added.

"The activity will be conducted in a manner that is consistent with international law and with due regard to the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other states."

China tests joint strike capabilities

The Philippine and allied exercises coincided with a Chinese air and sea patrol near the Scarborough Shoal.

The shoal is located some 240 kilometers (150 miles) west of the Philippines' main island of Luzon and nearly 900 kilometers from the nearest major Chinese land mass of Hainan province.

The Chinese military's Southern Theater Command said it had "organised a joint combat patrol in the sea and air space" near the area.

It said the patrol tested "the reconnaissance and early warning, rapid mobility, and joint strike capabilities of theater troops."

zc/wmr (AFP, AP, Reuters)