17:59 JST, May 8, 2026

China, which has declared itself a “maritime power,” has repeatedly engaged in provocative actions in the East and South China Seas and elsewhere. It is no longer possible to protect maritime security by relying solely on the United States.

Japan should actively engage in multilateral cooperation to increase its capabilities to deter China’s attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo. The Self-Defense Forces must take advantage of their full-blown participation in the latest military exercises as an opportunity to deepen coordination with the armed forces of other nations and improve their response capabilities.

The military exercises jointly conducted by the U.S. and Philippine militaries in the South China Sea and elsewhere began April 20 and were to run through Friday. These exercises, which also include Australia and Canada,........

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