Japan’s coast guard has held a joint exercise with counterparts from the United States and the Philippines, as the three Pacific nations beef up defense cooperation in the face of China’s expanding maritime activities.

The Japanese, United States and Philippine coast guards on Friday held a joint exercise in Japan for the first time. The drill, which took place in Kagoshima Bay in southwestern Japan, simulated a scenario in which a US cargo ship and a Philippine fishing boat collided

Japan, the United States, and the Philippines carried out a major coast guard drills together on Friday. The drill took place in the waters off Kagoshima, a southern part of Japan. This event comes at a time when worries are growing about China’s increasing actions in the Pacific Ocean.