Japan and Philippines engage in South China Sea war games

Two Japanese destroyers and one of the Philippines’ newest warships began historic naval exercises in the flashpoint South China Sea yesterday, showcasing a deepening alliance aimed at countering a rising China.

The day-long war games, the first bilateral naval exercises between the former second world war enemies, took place less than 300km from the Philippine-claimed Scarborough Shoal, now under Chinese control.

Philippine authorities insisted the exercises were merely focused on building military capabilities, but security analysts said they were clearly a signal to China over bitter maritime territorial disputes.

“First they demonstrate that China’s Pacific neighbours are beginning to balance against China,” said Professor Michael Tkacik, a foreign policy expert at the Texas-based Stephen F Austin State University.

“Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, and assorted other states are threatened by China’s behaviour, even as far away as India. Thus, the Philippines and Japan are jointly making an important statement about how seriously they view China’s actions.”

Although the Philippine navy declined to say exactly where Tuesday’s exercises would take place, it said the vessels would sail into the South China Sea from the former US Subic Bay naval base.