Japan joins joint exercises between the United States and the Philippines in the South China Sea

Japan intends to participate this year, at the earliest, in a joint training exercise with the United States and the Philippines in the South China Sea in response to China's growing naval presence in the region. The Japanese “Asahi” newspaper reported that the proposed naval exercises are expected to receive the support of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, US President Joe Biden, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the first trilateral summit in Washington on April 11, according to the Japanese “Asahi” newspaper. Kishida, Biden and Marcos are expected to agree to strengthen trilateral security cooperation on an equal footing with Japan, the United States and South Korea. As part of efforts to enhance the benefits of trilateral security cooperation, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces will participate in joint exercises or patrol activities that the US and Philippine armed forces plan to conduct in the South China Sea. Tokyo and Washington have been working to strengthen security ties with Manila since Marcos, who supports strong ties with the United States, came to power in June 2022. The coast guards of the three countries conducted a joint training exercise in June last year, and Japan plans to raise the level of Its forces. Putting the Philippines into a “semi-ally”, similar to Britain and Australia. Kishida agreed to provide coastal surveillance radar equipment to the Philippine Army under Japan's official security assistance program when he met Marcos in Manila last November.