The exercise will take place in the disputed waterway days before US President Joe Biden is due to hold a summit with the leaders of the Philippines and Japan.


The United States, Australia, Japan and the Philippines will hold joint naval and air drills in the disputed South China Sea on Sunday, their defence chiefs said in a statement, as they deepen ties to counter China's growing assertiveness in the region.

The exercise will take place in the disputed waterway -- which Beijing claims almost entirely -- days before US President Joe Biden is due to hold the first trilateral summit with the leaders of the Philippines and Japan.

"Our combined defense/armed forces will conduct a Maritime Cooperative Activity within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone on April 7, 2024," they said in a joint statement Saturday.

They said it would demonstrate the allies' "collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific."

The drills named the "Maritime Cooperative Activity" will include naval and air force units from all four countries, the joint statement said.

NDTV