US Coast Guard cutter visits Philippine island amid South China Sea tensions

A California-based Coast Guard cutter has completed a three-day port call on Palawan, the Philippines, not far from the scene of clashes between the Philippine and Chinese coast guards. The USCGC Stratton, based at U.S. Coast Guard Base Alameda, arrived at the island province facing the South China Sea on Friday, according to an U.S. Embassy to the Philippines news release on Monday. The port call aimed to strengthen the partnership between the Philippine and U.S. coast guards and “promote interoperability,” according to the release. Interoperability is a term the military uses to describe the ability of one nation’s military to use another nation’s equipment and training methods.