India and the Philippines are staging joint naval sail and exercises in the disputed South China Sea for the first time, a high-profile military deployment that will likely antagonize China. China has separate territorial disputes with the two Asian democracies and a long-running regional rivalry with New Delhi. Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner said Monday that the two-day joint naval sail and exercises, which began Sunday, have been successful so far and expressed hopes that Filipino forces could engage India’s military in more joint maneuvers in the future.
