The United States has staged a war game with its Pacific and NATO allies in waters near China as Washington seeks to strengthen its deterrence against Beijing’s regional activities.
The drill, code-named Annual Exercise and held on Monday in the Philippine Sea, involved forces from the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Japan and New Zealand.
Meanwhile, India and Japan, which are part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with the U.S. and Australia, conducted a bilateral exercise in the East China Sea last week.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Why It Matters
Facing China’s growing military presence near its allies and partners—Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines—in the western Pacific, the U.S. seeks to deter potential Chinese aggression by projecting military power in the region under the island chain strategy.
The most recent war games came as China continued its military buildup to assert its sovereignty claims over Taiwan—a self-governed island and a U.S. security partner—the hotly contested South China Sea and the Japan-administered Senkaku Islands.
Beijing, which has been accused by U.S.-led alliances of attempting to change the status quo by force unilaterally, has rebuked Washington for engaging in what it called
Photos Show US and Allies Staging War Games Near China
