Japanese troops are set to participate in a major U.S.-Australian military exercise for the first time in July. Known as Talisman Sabre, the drill, which is held every other year, will begin July 7 and will attempt to strengthen links between allied countries amidst tensions caused by an ever-increasingly assertive China.
Japan's ground self-defense force will be sending 40 of its soldiers to participate in the exercise. Though few in number, experts believe that the move is a valuable statement that shows how Washington aims to foster cooperation among its security allies in Asia, according to Reuters.
"We will participate in joint exercises with the US marines, rather than operating directly with the Australian military," a Japanese government spokesman said. "But our participation is seen as part of efforts to strengthen defense ties between Japan and Australia," he added.
Talisman Sabre, which will involve around 27,000 servicemen and women, will be help in two places near Rockhampton and Darwin in Australia. The exercise is intended "to improve tactical expertise in amphibian operations and to strengthen Japan-US interoperability," according to The Guardian.
The biennial exercises will incorporate several key military operations, including maritime operations, amphibious landings, special forces tactics, and urban warfare, according to Reuters.
Euan Graham, director of the International Security Program at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, believes that the participation of Japan in the military exercise is a strategic move.
"I think the U.S. is trying to get its allies to do more," he said. "There is an obvious symmetry between Japan as the upper anchor of the Western Pacific alliance and ... Australia as the southern anchor," he added.
China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying states that neither the participation of Japan nor the nature of the military exercises worries China.
"We believe the relevant countries should all play a proactive and constructive role to strengthen mutual trust and cooperation between countries in the region," she said.
