The U.S. and Japan are conducting separate military drills with the Philippines near disputed islands in the South China Sea, signaling support for the country as China builds out reclaimed reefs in the waters.
The annual CARAT Philippines joint exercise started Monday off Palawan island and will run until Friday, according to U.S. Navy spokesman Arlo Abrahamson. The Philippine Navy and the Maritime Self-Defense Force are holding drills around the same island through Saturday, the MSDF said last week.
The exercise is seen as an opportunity to display the strength of Japan's cooperation with the Philippines, with an eye on China's controversial land reclamation on the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.