INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines will hold their first joint naval exercises, including anti-submarine warfare
defense chiefs Saturday.China was not mentioned by name in the statement, but the four countries reaffirmed their stance that a 2016
refused to participate in the arbitration, rejected the ruling and continues to defy it
The Philippines brought its disputes with China to international arbitration in 2013 after a tense sea standoff.There was no immediate
comment by China.Last year, the Chinese Foreign Ministry warned against military exercises involving the United States and its allies in the
details of the military drills, called the Maritime Cooperative Activity.Japan said in a statement, issued by its embassy in Manila, that it
would deploy its destroyer, the JS Akebono, for the South China Sea exercises, which would include anti-submarine warfare training and other
also involve Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan
But skirmishes between Beijing and Manila have particularly flared since last year.Washington lays no claims to the strategic seaway but has
an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.China has warned the U.S
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 East China Sea islands
Increasing tensions in the disputed waters would be high on the agenda when President Joe Biden hosts his Japanese and Philippine
counterparts in 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 navy personnel and heavily damaged their wooden supply boat near the Second Thomas Shoal
The cannon blast was so strong it threw a crewman off the floor but he hit a wall instead of plunging into the sea, Philippine military
would continue to take actions to defend its sovereignty.Source: Associated Press
-Agencies
