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

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.