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The U.S., Japan and the Philippines will launch joint naval patrols in the South China Sea later this year, according to a U.S. official and a foreign diplomat familiar with the planning. It’s a major move to counter China in the region — and one likely to elicit a strong response from Beijing.
The three-country naval maneuvers are part of a package of initiatives that President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will unveil at their first-ever trilateral summit next month, the official and the diplomat said.
The White House is also expected to announce that it will “seriously consider” having Japan as a technological partner in elements of the “AUKUS” security partnership between the U.S., U.K. and Australia, according to a Defense Department official and another person familiar with the planning, both granted anonymity to speak ahead of an announcement.
The April 11 trilateral summit is seen as key to cementing efforts by the three countries to counter China’s regional influence. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement last week that the three leaders will discuss ways to “further peace and security in the Indo-Pacific,” but did not provide further details.
The South China Sea has become increasingly tense in recent years as China has used its military might to lay claim to waters internationally recognized as belonging to the Philippines — establishing bases and harassing Philippine Coast Guard units. There are rising concerns in Washington that Beijing and Manila could tip into open conflict. Beijing could also use those military outposts to support a blockade or invasion of Taiwan in coming years.
The joint naval patrols will mark the most robust assertion of the Biden administration’s Indo-Pacific Strategy hinged to rallying allies and partners to offset China’s growing economic, diplomatic and military footprint in the region.
While the U.S. and the Philippines have conducted joint patrols previously, this will be the first time Japan’s navy has joined with them in doing so — a show of force designed to show Beijing its belligerence won’t be tolerated. Japan’s involvement also reflects the Kishida government’s moves to make Tokyo a bigger player in regional security alongside the U.S. that began with his announcement in 2022 of a doubling of the country’s defense budget within five years.
The National Security Council, DOD and the Japanese embassy in Washington declined to comment. The Philippine embassy didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The joint operations also raise the risk of possible confrontations with Chinese forces operating in the region. Beijing has already ignored repeated warnings from the Biden administration that the U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty obligates the U.S. to intervene if Philippine forces come under armed attack.
In recent months, Chinese vessels have on multiple occasions deployed water cannons against Philippine Coast Guard vessels, injuring Filipino sailors.
Chinese forces “will continue to take resolute steps to safeguard its territorial interests,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Monday. Marcos warned on Thursday that his government would respond with a “countermeasure package” aimed to deter “aggressive and dangerous attacks” by China in the South China Sea.
It is not clear how soon the Japan-U.S.-Philippines patrols will start. The three militaries have been laying the groundwork for joint patrols already — they began holding joint maritime training exercises in the region in June.
Eric Bazail-Eimil and Paul McLeary contributed to this report.
