On Sunday, the United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines are scheduled to hold joint military exercises in the South China Sea.
The one-day naval exercises will be held in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.
According to the press release of the four allies, the aim of the exercise is:
To protect the rule of law, which forms the foundation of a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region, as well as freedom of navigation and airspace.
According to Philippine Defense Department spokesman Arsenio Andolog During the exercise, participants will move from south to north, along the border line of the Northwest Command.
A military exercise with many, many participants
In the naval exercise, two Philippine warships will join:
- USS Mobile Independence-class littoral combat ship,
- Japanese destroyer JS Akebono,
- Australian frigate HMAS Warramunga.
China was not mentioned by name in the statement, but the four countries affirmed their support for a ruling issued by an international arbitration court in 2016 that invalidated China’s claims in the region.
There will also be a summit
The naval drills come days before a summit between the leaders of Japan, the United States and the Philippines, which will also discuss recent events in the South China Sea.
