Japan and US stage first anti-submarine exercise in South China Sea
- Two Japanese destroyers, the JS Kaga and JS Murasame, join the USS Milius for Tuesday’s drill, which follows recent exercises with the US and Philippine navies
- The countries’ militaries have been deepening their cooperation in recent years and seeking to put pressure on China over its claims to the disputed waters
The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force said that two of its destroyers – JS Kaga and JS Murasame – and an Oyashio-class submarine had joined an American Aegis destroyer, the USS Milius, for Tuesday’s exercise, which also involved Japanese SH-60J helicopters and US and Japanese patrol aircraft.
The three destroyers had taken part in another drill in the South China Sea last week, and the Japanese ships also made a port call in the Philippines over the weekend before joining the Philippine frigate BRP Jose Rizal for an exercise off Subic.
The drills come as Japan is stepping up the pressure on Beijing over its claims to large parts of the South China Sea.
At the start of the year it sent a note verbale to the United Nations, saying China’s drawing of territorial sea baselines in the South China Sea failed to satisfy conditions set out in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Beijing’s claims are contested by the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan, and have also stoked tensions with the United States, which regularly deploys warships and planes to the disputed waters.
China has repeatedly warned Tokyo against actions that will affect the two countries’ relationship and criticised it for being under US influence.