NEW DELHI -- The first joint maritime exercise among the Maritime Self-Defense Force and the navies of the United States, Australia, India and France began Monday in the Bay of Bengal, off the eastern coast of India.
Japan, Australia, India and the United States -- known as the Quad, which held its first summit meeting last month -- are increasingly concerned about China's unilateral maritime expansion and are seeking to expand cooperation with France, which wants to deepen its involvement in the Indo-Pacific region.
The five countries, which share values such as democracy and the rule of law, will hold the exercise, dubbed La Perouse, until April 7, with the aim of realizing a "free and open Indo-Pacific." The MSDF destroyer Akebono and Indian frigates will participate in the drill.
The Quad conducted a joint maritime exercise, dubbed Malabar, in November last year. France, which has territories and bases in the Indian and South Pacific oceans, was the first European country to announce a security policy incorporating the concept of the Indo-Pacific in 2018. It led La Perouse with an eye toward China.
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