WONOSOBO NEWS – China warned against military cooperation between the United States, the Philippines and Japan not to damage trust and deepen divisions in the region, as the three countries began annual military exercises.
“What the Asia-Pacific region needs most is peace and tranquility, and what it needs least is the entry of external forces to create division and confrontation,” Guo Jiakun, a ministry spokesman, said at a regular news conference in Beijing when asked about the drills.
Military cooperation between countries should not undermine mutual understanding and trust among regional countries, disrupt regional peace and stability, be directed against third parties, or harm their interests, Guo said.
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“We would like to remind the countries concerned that continuing to tie themselves up in terms of security will only cause them to burn themselves out and backfire,” he said.
The annual exercise “Balikatan” from April 20 to May 8 will see members of the Japan Self-Defense Force take part in live ammunition shooting drills for the first time.
China’s military said last Friday that it was deploying its navy and air force to monitor the Japanese destroyer JS Ikazuchi transiting the Taiwan Strait.
The warship is listed as part of a unit participating in the multilateral exercise, according to a statement from Japan’s Defense Ministry.
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Regarding Ikazuchi’s deployment in the strait and Japan’s involvement in the military drills, Guo said Tokyo should be careful, rather than “showing off its military power everywhere and undermining regional stability.”
The military drills will feature live-fire drills in the country’s north facing the Taiwan Strait, as well as a province off the disputed South China Sea, where the Philippines and China have been involved in repeated confrontations.***
