Baghdad, The United States, Australia, Japan and the Philippines announced that they will hold joint naval and air military exercises tomorrow, Sunday, in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.
The Defense Ministers of these countries said in a joint statement: ‘In a 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 in the region es
calated 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 is Taiwan.
In response, the United States sought to strengthen its alliances in the region, including with treaty countries such as Japan and the Philippines.
Earlier this week, China urged the Philippines to “respect the facts and take into account the relevant understandings between the two sides and the provisions of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and return to the right path of managing and resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation as soon as possible.”
Source: National Iraqi News Agency