The armed forces of the Philippines, the United States, and four other countries have begun joint naval exercises off the coast of the Philippines’ northern Luzon, which borders Taiwan, according to Reuters. This year’s exercises, called “Sama-Sama,” meaning unity, involve nearly 1,000 sailors and personnel from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the United States, and the Philippines. They focus on high-intensity anti-submarine, anti-landing, and air defense operations training. US Navy Rear Admiral Todd Cimicata told reporters in the port of Subic, to the west of Manila, that building partner…