The United States, Australia, Japan, and the Philippines announced that they will conduct joint military naval and air exercises tomorrow, Sunday, in the disputed South China Sea, in response to China's increasing influence in the region. These exercises by the four nations' forces in the South China Sea, which China claims almost complete sovereignty over, come just days before U.S. President Joe Biden holds his first trilateral summit with the leaders of the Philippines and Japan.
A joint statement from the defense ministers of these countries said: "In demonstrating our collective commitment to enhance regional and international cooperation to support a free and open Indo-Pacific, our armed defense forces will conduct a joint naval activity within the Philippine exclusive economic zone on April 7, 2024." The joint statement clarified that the exercises, named "Maritime Cooperation Activities," will involve naval and air units from the four nations. The defense ministers reiterated that these exercises "will enhance the interoperability of our strategies, plans, technologies, and procedures."
