The ambassadors of Japan and Australia expressed their support to and said they are looking forward to the naval drills to be conducted by the Philippines, United States, Japan, and Australia on Sunday, April 7, which are meant to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Armed Philippine Coast Guard personnel board the PCG Melchora Aquino ship during a drill off the waters of Bataan on June 6, 2023. Philippines, United States, and Japanese coast guard participated in exercises which involved drills on maritime law enforcement and security. (AP Photo / Aaron Favila)

Japanese Ambassador to Manila Endo Kazuya took to X (formerly Twitter) to stress Japan’s resolve to achieve peace and stability in the region.
 

“Japan joins the Maritime Cooperative Activity in the South China Sea, together with like-minded countries from the (the Philippines, US, and Australia). We are resolute in cooperating and collaborating to achieve regional peace and stability, and in realizing #FOIP,” he wrote, referring to the umbrella term “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”
 

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Hae Kyong Yu also went on the social media platform to talk about Australia’s participation in what the four countries refers to as the Maritime Cooperative Activity, which would be conducted in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) where China has been flexing its naval muscles.
 

“(Australian, Japan, the Philippines, and the US) will conduct our Maritime Cooperative Activity in the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone tomorrow,” she said.
 

“Together, we work to enhance maritime security cooperation, promote respect for international law, and maintain regional peace and stability,” the ambassador added.
 

According to the Department of National Defense (DND), five warships—the Philippines’ BRP Gregorio del Pilar and BRP Ramon Alcaraz, the US’ USS Mobile, Japan’s JS Akebono, and Australia's HMAS Warramunga.
 

The Embassy of Japan in Manila also stated that Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) is set to deploy the JS AKEBONO on April 7 “to conduct Quadrilateral Exercise with the U.S. Navy, Australian Navy and Air Force and Philippine Navy as part of the Philippines-US-Australia-Japan Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) in the South China Sea.”
 

The drills, which runs from April 6 to 7, “aims to enhance regional maritime security cooperation among the four countries, and promote freedom of navigation towards the realization of a ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’.”
 

The embassy added that there will be various tactical trainings during the maritime activity. This would include anti-submarine warfare training, tactical exercise, link exercise (LINKEX) and photo exercise (PHOTOEX).
 

Citing Japan’s Minister of Defense Kihara Minoru in the joint statement by the defense heads of the four countries, the embassy reiterated that “the issue concerning the South China Sea is directly related to the peace and stability of the region and a legitimate concern of the international community and expressed Japan’s opposition towards any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force in the region.”
 

The maritime drills, seen as a show of force against China’s expanding and increasing aggression in the region, on Sunday will come days before a first-ever trilateral meeting at the White House between President Marcos, US President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
 

Tensions have been running high in the South China Sea, particularly near the vicinity of the Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal inside the Philippines’ EEZ as China ramps up its water cannon attacks against Philippine vessels in a resupply mission to the grounded BRP Sierra Madre.
 

The latest incident injured three Filipino soldiers and damaged a Philippine maritime vessel.
 

China has warned other countries against siding with the Philippines, but the US, Japan, and Australia maintain legitimate interests in securing the region, where more than $5 trillion worth of vital global trade passed through in 2021 figures.