8th April 2024 at 4:00pm
The United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines have staged a series of joint anti-submarine drills in the South China Sea – prompting a quick response from Beijing.
The joint maritime exercise was held in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, which immediately led China to launch a naval and air patrol of its own.
The Manila Times newspaper said the drills featured a range of communication exercises and strategic manoeuvres aimed at strengthening regional and international cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
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The four-nation drills underscored the commitment to promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific through enhanced interoperability in maritime operations.
The exercise was joined by Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyer Akebono, the US Navy littoral combat ship USS Mobile, the Royal Australian Navy frigate Warramunga and the Philippine naval frigate Antonio Luna, among others.
The territorial disputes in the resource-rich South China Sea persist, despite repeated calls for diplomatic resolutions and respect for sovereignty.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled against China’s nine-dash line claim, stating it lacked legal basis under international law.
According to the Institute for China-America Studies, the nine-dash line is a visual representation of China’s claims that appears on some Chinese official maps and comparative maps of disputed claims in the South China Sea.