The Australian Defence Force has announced that it will join another military drill in the contested waters of the South China Sea, where there have been a series of increasingly dangerous confrontations between China and the Philippines.
Australia, the US, Canada and the Philippines will hold a joint exercise in the South China Sea.The exercises are almost certain to draw an angry response from Beijing, which claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea as its own territory.
In a statement all four countries said the drill would "uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight" in the region while "demonstrating our collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific". There have been several clashes between China and the Philippines in the region this year, with China's coast guard repeatedly using water cannons and barging Philippine vessels in the region.A deal with the Philippines on the South China Sea reflects a longstanding balancing act by China, but the broader outlook reveals the regional power could be changing its tone on big issues.
A 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidated China's claims of sovereignty over the sea, where the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also have competing territorial claims. Defence expert Liz Buchanan says Canada's participation in the exercise is significant, and appears to be playing a greater role than Australia.
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