The Philippines and Japan held their first joint military exercise in the South China Sea on Friday, the Philippine military said, the latest example of co-operation between the countries as they confront China’s assertiveness in the region.
The joint exercise, held in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, followed a similar exercise between Manila and Washington on Wednesday. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said in a statement.
The exercise was part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen regional and international cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
The Philippines also carried out reinforcement work on the US World War II-era ship BRP Sierra Madre on a shoal near the disputed Spratly archipelago in the South China Sea, despite Chinese demands that the outpost be dismantled.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on 27 July that the Chinese authorities control the situation with the supply of the Philippine ship in the disputed waters, and humanitarian cargoes are allowed there after on-site inspection. The ministry stressed that Beijing’s position on the issue remains unchanged. Recently, Beijing and Manila reached temporary agreements to coordinate actions in these waters.
The Philippines and Japan, a US ally, signed a landmark military pact last month authorising the stationing of troops in each other’s territory.
China claims much of the South China Sea, through which most of Northeast Asia’s trade with the rest of the world passes, as well as Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Japan, which last year announced its biggest military buildup since World War II in a step away from post-war pacifism, has no claim to this busy waterway. But it does have a separate maritime dispute with China in the East China Sea, where the neighbours have repeatedly clashed.
