Japan, Philippines, US hold joint drills near Bashi Channel

Japan, the Philippines and the United States are deepening maritime security ties. They have held joint drills near a key passage connecting the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The exercises, called Maritime Cooperative Activity, ran for four days starting Monday.

They took place near the Bashi Channel, for the first time. The channel is an important route for transporting energy and other commodities to Japan.  Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force took part in the drills on Tuesday, deploying a P-3C patrol aircraft for flight training alongside the US and Philippine militaries.