[HIGHLIGHTS] Japan, the US, Australia, and the Philippines will conduct their first joint exercise in the South China Sea tomorrow

Japan, the US, Australia, and the Philippines will conduct their first joint exercise in the South China Sea tomorrow. The joint exercise will involve the destroyer Akebono, a US Navy littoral combat ship, and frigates from the Royal Australian Navy and Philippine Navy.

This is the first time that the four countries have conducted joint training as a ''maritime joint activity,'' and the aim is to ''strengthen interoperability of tactics, technology, etc.'' How to deal with China in theSouth China Sea is expected to be one of the main topics of discussion at the Japan-U.S. summit meeting to be held in Washington on the 10th of next week.