U.S. cancels military drills with Philippines over coronavirus

MANILA, March 27 (Reuters) - The United States has cancelled annual military exercises with treaty ally the Philippines, it said on Friday, as a precaution against a coronavirus pandemic.

The exercises, set to run from May 4 to May 15, have taken place in the southeast Asian nation for decades, involving thousands of troops from both countries. The alliance with the Philippines is one of Washington's most important in Asia. (Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)