In a move that underscores heightened tensions in the South China Sea region, Japan, the United States, and Australia are set to engage in joint naval exercises on August 23, according to sources cited by Japanese news agency Kyodo. The exercises will see major vessels from the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the US Navy, and the Royal Australian Navy stationed near the Philippines.
Japan’s participation in these exercises includes the deployment of its largest destroyer, the Izumo, which is undergoing conversion into a de facto aircraft carrier. The focus of these maneuvers, as reported, is to closely monitor the activities of Chinese vessels in the contested waters.
The decision to conduct these joint exercises comes against the backdrop of escalating tensions between China and the Philippines. A recent incident involving a Chinese coast guard vessel firing a water cannon at a smaller Philippine boat has further strained relations between the two nations. The incident, which occurred on August 5, hindered a Philippine resupply mission.
In response, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) issued a strong condemnation of the “dangerous maneuvers and illegal use of water cannons” by the Chinese coast guard near Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal. China, in turn, asserted its sovereignty over the Nansha (Spratly) Islands and adjacent waters, claiming that two cargo ships and two PCG vessels had entered its territorial waters without permission.
Ayungin Shoal, where the recent incident took place, forms part of the larger dispute over the Spratly Islands—an archipelago contested by China and several other Asian nations, including the Philippines. The Philippines famously grounded a naval transport ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, on the reef in 1999 to house a contingent of marines.
As the joint naval exercises approach, regional and global observers are closely monitoring the developments in the South China Sea, where geopolitical tensions continue to shape the maritime landscape.
(With inputs from agencies)
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