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The Navy of the Philippines and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) conducted their first bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) on Friday in the West Philippines Sea. The maritime exercise was an effort to strengthen regional and international cooperation towards ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific amid China's attempts at expansionism in the area, according to a press statement released by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The navy vessels deployed by the countries for participating in this maritime drill were BRP Jose Rizal FF 150 from the AFP and JS Sazanami from the JMSDF. The training routine of the maritime exercise included a communications exercise (COMMEX), a tactical manoeuvring exercise, and a photographic exercise (PHOTOEX). The press statement released by the AFP mentioned that the exercise was able to enhance the tactical capabilities of the Philippine Navy and the JMSDF and reinforced the strong ties and mutual commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the region. The statement further mentioned that the JMSDF and the Philippines Navy are dedicated for promoting security and stability in the Indo-Pacific, demonstrating their shared commitment to upholding a rules-based international order. This step taken by the defence forces of Japan and the Philippines came at a crucial time when China had repeatedly made attempts to expand its territories in the Pacific Ocean. Similar issues of expansionism by China are being faced by Taiwan. Recently, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) had declared that it had detected 66 Chinese military aircraft and vessels around the island, apparently en route to a Chinese military exercise in the Western Pacific. The media outlet embedded a statement by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence on its X platform. "66 PLA aircraft and seven PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 am (2200 GMT Wednesday) today," the statement said. Fifty-six of the aircraft crossed the sensitive median line bisecting the Taiwan Strait - a narrow 180-kilometre (110-mile) waterway separating the island from China, it said. They were headed toward the Western Pacific to take part in a joint air and sea military exercise there alongside the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong, Taiwan's defence ministry said. The ministry added it had "monitored the situation and responded accordingly". The Taiwan defence ministry also released an illustration showing some of the aircraft came within 33 nautical miles (61 km) of Taiwan's southern tip. On July 10, the ministry said that 36 Chinese military aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and were headed toward the Western Pacific to take part in a joint air and sea military exercise there alongside the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong. Previously in May this year Beijing sent 62 military aircraft and 27 naval vessels around Taiwan, amidst war games Beijing launched following the inauguration of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te. Taiwan's Defence Minister Wellington Koo was cited by Focus Taiwan as saying that "the MND had a 'full grasp' of the Shandong's movements." (ANI)
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