US, Japan, Australia and Philippines to hold military exercises in disputed South China Sea

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines will hold their first joint naval exercises, including anti-submarine warfare training, in a show of force Sunday in South China Sea, where Beijing’s aggressive actions to assert its territorial claims have sparked concern.

The four treaty allies and security partners are holding the exercises to safeguard “the rule of law that is the foundation of a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region” and defend freedom of navigation and overflight, they said in a joint statement issued by their defense. heads Saturday.

China was not mentioned by name in the statement, but the four countries reaffirmed their position that a 2016 international arbitration ruling, which invalidated China’s broad claims on historical grounds, was final and legally binding .

China refused to participate in the arbitration, rejected the decision and continues to defy it. The Philippines took its disputes with China to international arbitration in 2013 after a tense maritime standoff.

China had no immediate comment.

Last year, China’s Foreign Ministry warned against military exercises involving the United States and its allies in the disputed waters, which could harm their security and territorial interests.

“We stand with all nations in safeguarding the international order based on the rule of law that is the foundation of a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region,” the four nations said, but did not provide specific details on military exercises, called Maritime. Cooperative activity.

Japan said in a statement issued by its embassy in Manila that it would deploy its destroyer, the JS Akebono, for exercises in the South China Sea, which would include anti-submarine warfare training and other maneuvers military.

“Japan believes that the South China Sea issue is directly related to regional peace and stability and is a legitimate concern of the international community, including Japan, Australia, the Philippines and the United States. “United,” said Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara. said in the release.

“Japan opposes any unilateral change of the status quo by force, such attempts as well as any actions that could increase tensions in the South China Sea,” he said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a separate statement that the exercises “underscore our shared commitment to ensuring that all countries are free to fly, sail and operate wherever international law permits.”

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said “respect for national sovereignty and agreed rules and standards based on international law underpin the stability of our region.” Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Sunday’s military exercises would be the first in a series of activities aimed at strengthening the Philippines’ “individual and collective self-defense capacity.”

Besides China and the Philippines, long-running disputes in the South China Sea, a key global trade route, also involve Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. But clashes between Beijing and Manila have particularly flared up since last year.

Washington does not claim the strategic sea lane, but has repeatedly warned that it is obligated to defend its longtime ally, the Philippines, if Philippine forces, ships and aircraft come under armed attack , including in the South China Sea.

China has warned the United States not to intervene in the disputes, which have sparked fears of an escalation into a major conflict that could involve the two world powers.

Japan has separate territorial disputes with China over islands in the East China Sea. Growing tensions in the disputed waters will be high on the agenda when President Joe Biden hosts his Japanese and Philippine counterparts at a summit at the White House next week.

In the latest hostilities last month, the Chinese coast guard used water cannons that injured a Filipino admiral and four of his sailors and seriously damaged their wooden supply boat near the Second Thomas Shoal. The cannon’s fire was so strong that it knocked a crew member off the ground, but he hit a wall instead of plunging into the sea, Philippine military officials said.

The Philippine government summoned a diplomat from the Chinese embassy in Manila to convey its “strongest protest” against China. Beijing accused Philippine ships of entering Chinese territorial waters, warning Manila not to “play with fire” and saying China would continue to take measures to defend its sovereignty.