US, Japan Forging Multilateral Alliance to Counter China’s Military Expansion, Expert Says

Washington and Tokyo are holding concurrent exercises across the Western Pacific to bolster deterrence amid mounting Chinese military pressure.

U.S. Navy F-35C stealth fighter jet and crew prepare ready for takeoff for a flight demonstration during the Annualex 23 joint naval exercise, from aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson off the Japanese coast, on Nov. 11, 2023. Mari Yamaguchi/AP Photo

The United States and Japan are leveraging joint military exercises to forge a multilateral alliance with Taiwan and the Philippines, according to an expert, cementing the Indo-Pacific deterrent that Beijing fears most.

The U.S. Marine Corps and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) launched Resolute Dragon 26 at Camp Kengun in Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture on June 20, opening the latest round of their annual bilateral exercise.