The United States, India, and Japan will participate in joint naval exercises near the South China Sea. Reuters reports that the annual exercises will occur in the North Philippine Sea, and they are likely to increase tensions between China and the three other nations. The exercises were announced shortly after the U.S. called for China to stop militarizing the South China Sea, and the inclusion of Japan is being seen as a move to demonstrate a united front against growing Chinese assertiveness in the region.
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