Australia, Japan, Philippines and U.S. to conduct joint drills off Philippines

Australia, Japan, Philippines and U.S. to conduct joint drills off Philippines

The armed forces of Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the U.S. are set to conduct a joint exercise in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone on Wednesday, the U.S. military announced.

The drill is the first involving the four nations since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office last month. It comes a day after U.S. and Philippine warplanes held a joint patrol above the South China Sea, drawing a rebuke from Beijing.