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The United States and Japan have deployed alongside the Philippines for military exercises in the South China Sea, returning the contested waterway to the center of the regional security conversation.
The trilateral drill marks a coordinated allied presence in one of the world's most closely watched maritime corridors, and moves the Asia-Pacific risk setup back to the front of the desk.
Three flags in the water The exercise draws three Pacific allies into the same body of water at the same time.
Washington and Tokyo joining Manila elevates the operational profile beyond what a bilateral arrangement would signal, and the distinction matters for reading the message.
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