The army said in a statement: “On April 7, the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in the South China Sea will organize joint naval and air combat patrols.”
Naval exercises for 4 countries
The United States, Australia, Japan, and the Philippines announced that, on Sunday, they will hold joint naval and air military exercises in the South China Sea.
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.
A joint statement by the defense ministers of these countries stated: “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 statement explained that the exercises, called “Maritime Cooperation Activity,” will include naval and air units from the four countries.
The four Defense Ministers stressed that these exercises “will enhance the interoperability of our theories, plans, technologies and procedures.”
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 escalated 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-governing Taiwan.
– US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated in the joint statement: “These activities with our Australian, Japanese and Filipino allies demonstrate our shared commitment to ensuring the freedom of all nations to fly, sail and operate wherever international law permits,” adding that “our joint operations support peace and stability within our shared vision of a free and open region.” “.
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