Latest news with #JSTakanami
The Star
9 hours ago
- General
- The Star
Philippines, Japan hold joint drills after reciprocal access agreement
MANILA: The Philippines and Japan conducted joint maritime exercises in the West Philippine Sea over the weekend, marking one of their first major joint activities after Japan's Diet ratified early this month the reciprocal access agreement (RAA) between the two countries. At about the same time, China's military held joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea, according to Tian Junli, a spokesperson for the Southern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army-Navy. The drills with Japan, called 'maritime cooperative activity (MCA),' were held on Saturday (June 14) within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and involved the Philippine Navy's newest frigate BRP Miguel Malvar and guided-missile destroyer JS Takanami (DD-110) of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). 'More than a maritime drill, the MCA underscored the operationalisation of the RAA—an accord that lays the groundwork for increased joint training, humanitarian assistance and disaster response initiatives between the AFP and JMSDF,' the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said. The drills featured antisubmarine warfare exercises, cross-deck exercises, communication check exercise, division tactics and officer of the watch manoeuvres, photo exercises and a finish exercise. Also joining the drills were the AgustaWestland 159 antisubmarine helicopter, C-208 ISR aircraft of the Philippine Air Force, search and rescue units, and Japan's SH-60K Seahawk. A video from the AFP showed the popular Japanese anime 'Gundam' playing in the background as sailors from the BRP Miguel Malvar manned the rails while sailing with JS Takanami nearby. 'With the RAA now in effect, our coordination with Japan will only grow stronger and more responsive to the complex demands of our shared security environment,' AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. was quoted as saying. The West Philippine Sea is Manila's EEZ in the South China Sea, which China claims almost entirely. Tokyo and Beijing have also repeatedly faced off around uninhabited Japanese-administered islands that Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing calls the Diaoyu. Tokyo's security cooperation with Manila is expected to get a boost in the coming years following Japan's ratification of the RAA, which the Philippine Senate approved in December last year. Tian, meanwhile, criticised the Philippines for courting countries outside the region to organise 'joint patrols' and 'raised security risks' in the region. 'The theatre command forces remain on high alert, resolutely safeguarding China's national sovereignty and maritime rights,' he said in a statement on Sunday. He added that 'all military activities that seek to stir up trouble in the South China Sea or create flashpoints are fully under control.' The Philippine Embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. The Philippines and the United States conducted joint maritime drills in the South China Sea for a seventh time earlier this month. Tensions continue to run high between China and the Philippines over territorial disputes in the South China Sea, a conduit for more than US$3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
Newsweek
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Chinese Warships Shadow US Allies in Contested Waters
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Japan and the Philippines—both treaty allies of the United States—have conducted a joint naval exercise in the contested South China Sea, where they were shadowed by Chinese warships. The Chinese military confirmed that it conducted sea and air patrols in the South China Sea on Saturday, in response to the Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) organized by the U.S. allies. Why It Matters China, the Philippines, and other regional nations maintain overlapping sovereignty claims in the energy-rich South China Sea. Confrontations and clashes between the navies and coast guards of rival claimants are an ongoing problem. The Philippines, which has a mutual defense treaty with the U.S., frequently conducts drills with allies to assert its sovereignty in the South China Sea. The latest joint exercise follows Japan's ratification of an agreement allowing reciprocal military visits with the Philippines. What To Know The MCA was conducted on Saturday in South China Sea waters west of Luzon, the Philippines' main island, according to Japan's Kyodo News. The drill involved the Japanese destroyer JS Takanami and the Philippine frigate BRP Miguel Malvar. A pair of Chinese naval vessels monitored the allied warships in nearby waters, according to imagery from the Philippines' ABS-CBN News. The Chinese navy kept its distance and did not challenge the exercise, which focused on anti-submarine warfare, Kyodo News reported. LOOK: Two Chinese PLA Navy vessels were spotted around the exercise zone of the MCA just minutes after the event started. The Chinese vessels shadowed both the BRP Miguel Malvar and the Japanese destroyer JS Takanami during the maritime drills. | via @manahan_job — ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) June 14, 2025 The bilateral war game demonstrated what the Armed Forces of the Philippines described as "joint capability in a wide array of naval operations," adding that cooperation with Japan will be more responsive to the complex demands of their shared security environment. The Joint Staff of Japan's Defense Ministry said in a statement that Tokyo and Manila are committed to upholding the rights of freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as respect for maritime rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Meanwhile, the Chinese military's Southern Theater Command, which focuses on the South China Sea, accused the Philippines of raising security risks in the region by conducting joint patrols with so-called non-regional countries—though it did not specifically mention Japan. The Chinese military command claimed that its units remain on high alert to "resolutely safeguard" the country's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea. A Philippine naval helicopter hovers above the Japanese destroyer JS Takanami during a joint maritime exercise in the South China Sea on June 14, 2025. A Philippine naval helicopter hovers above the Japanese destroyer JS Takanami during a joint maritime exercise in the South China Sea on June 14, 2025. Kyodo via AP Images What People Are Saying General Romeo Brawner Jr., chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said in a statement on Sunday: "This cooperative activity is more than a display of maritime capability—it is a manifestation of our enduring commitment to uphold peace, stability, and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific." The Joint Staff of Japan's Defense Ministry said in a statement on Sunday: "The activity was conducted in a manner consistent with international law and with due regard to the freedom of navigation and the rights and interests of other states." Air Force Senior Colonel Tian Junli, spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), said in a statement on Sunday: "Any military activities that disrupt the South China Sea and create hotspots are all under control." What Happens Next Both the Philippines and China are expected to maintain their military presence in the South China Sea. It remains to be seen whether other U.S. allies will conduct drills in the region.
