The Komodo naval exercises kicked off on Monday in the Makassar Strait in northern Indonesia with the participation of 36 countries, including the United States, Russia, China and countries from South and Southeast Asia.

The exercises, which will run until next Thursday, aim to enhance trust and cooperation between the naval forces of the countries participating in exercises focused on non-military humanitarian operations, in addition to strengthening communication between the navies of countries with a military presence in the seas of the Asia-Pacific regions.

The U.S. military has stepped up operations in the Asia-Pacific region in the face of China's growing influence, which recently organized several war games around Taiwan.

But the two countries have sent warships to participate in the 2023 multilateral naval exercises hosted by Indonesia.

A spokesman for the US embassy in Jakarta told AFP on Sunday that the US Navy had sent a shore warship to take part in the exercises.

The exercise will allow the United States to join like-minded countries and our allies and partners to work on common challenges, such as disaster response and humanitarian assistance.

China's Defense Ministry said last week it would send a destroyer and a frigate at the invitation of the Indonesian navy.

Officials said 17 foreign ships would take part in the exercises, which will focus on non-military operations with key allies.

Indonesian Navy spokesman Ai Med Wira Hadi said in a statement that "the multilateral naval exercise MNEK is a non-war exercise that prioritizes maritime cooperation in the region."

Washington and Beijing have been locked in a debate this year over a series of Asia-Pacific issues, including Taiwan, a U.S.-backed island that China considers part of its territory, and the two countries are competing diplomatically to win over Pacific island governments.

The tension peaked when a balloon suspected of being used by China for espionage purposes crossed over U.S. soil before being shot down.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told a defense summit in Singapore last week that the two countries should relaunch dialogue to avoid any "misunderstandings" that could lead to conflict.

Beijing rejected an invitation to its defense minister to meet Austin on the sidelines of that summit.