PH, US Launch annual joint military drillsbr br Thousands of Filipino and American troops kicked off joint military exercises in the Philippines on Monday, as Beijing's growing assertiveness in the region raises fears of a conflict.br br The annual drills — dubbed Balikatan, or "shoulder to shoulder" in Tagalog — will be concentrated in the northern and western parts of the archipelago nation, near the potential flashpoints of the South China Sea and Taiwan.br br China claims almost the entire waterway, a key route for international trade, and also considers self-ruled Taiwan to be part of its territory.