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The United States, Australia, Japan, and the Philippines announced that they will hold joint naval and air military exercises in the disputed waters of the South China Sea tomorrow, Sunday.
A joint statement by the defense ministers of these countries said: “In demonstration of our collective commitment to strengthening regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open region in the Indo-Pacific, our combined armed defense forces will conduct a joint maritime activity within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines on April 7, 2024.”
The maneuvers by the forces of the four countries in the South China Sea, over which Beijing claims almost complete sovereignty, come days before US President Joe Biden holds the first tripartite summit with the leaders of the Philippines and Japan.
Earlier this week, the Australian warship Waramonga arrived in the waters of the Philippine province of Palawan Islands, which lies across the disputed waters.
Regional tensions escalated in the region last year as China grew more confident in asserting its claim to sovereignty over the South China Sea, which is also claimed by the Philippines and Japan, as well as in self-ruled Taiwan.
Source: Agence France-Presse
2024-04-08 21:19:18