JOINT MARITIME ACTIVITY OF FOUR COUNTRIES ON WPS

Japan, Australia, Philippine, and the United States will conduct a joint maritime activity in the exclusive economic zone tomorrow April 7. This is to demonstrate the collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Maritime activity on West Philippine Sea (Photo courtesy of Ted Aljibe/Philippine Star)

The exercise will be held in the disputed West Philippine Sea, which will demonstrate professional interactions among naval/maritime and air force units in a manner that is consistent with the rights and interest of other states.

Also, with the international law and rules of respective nations and safety of navigation. 

According to the Department of National Defense on the joint statement of the four countries, “they sought to uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, and respect for maritime rights under international law, reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).”

This regional tensions intensify in the past years as China become highly confident in asserting its claims over water that was also claimed by the Japan and Philippines, as well as over Taiwan self-ruled.

Philippine Defense chief Gibo Teodor said that, “The Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC) that we are implementing includes strengthening and deepening cooperation and interoperability with all nations, big and small, to maintain regional peace and stability as well as good order at sea based on international law, principally UNCLOS.”

Source: Joseph Pedrajas/Manila Bulletin 

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