The US and the Philippines began their annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) military exercise in the Sulu Sea east of the Philippine island province of Palawan on June 22, according to China's state-run Reference News web portal, citing a report from Japan's Fuji Sankei Business web portal.
The Philippines and the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) are also holding exercises in the waters around the island, according to the report.
The moves to lend military support to the Philippines by both the US and Japan come come as China's land reclamation efforts on reefs and islands in the disputed South China Sea are drawing to a close, the report said.
The US Navy is gearing up for increased contact with the PLA Navy in the South China Sea as part of their agreement to maintain a crisis channel of communication to avoid misunderstandings at times of tension in the region, according to Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao.
Read the full story at Want China Times