Japan, the United States and Australia are considering sending their vessels carrying aircraft to the Philippines to conduct a trilateral naval drill next week in the South China Sea, sources close to the matter have said.
The planned exercise set for Wednesday comes amid mounting tensions between China and the Philippines after a Chinese coast guard vessel fired a water cannon at a Philippine military-chartered boat near the Manila-controlled Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea earlier this month.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force has decided to send its largest destroyer, the Izumo, which is set to become a de facto aircraft carrier after undergoing additional renovation slated to begin next year or 2025, the sources said Friday.