Troops from the US, Indonesia and five other countries began an annual training exercise on Thursday on Indonesia’s main island of Java, as China’s growing aggression raises concerns.
American and Indonesian troops have conducted live-fire Super Garuda Shield exercises since 2009, and Australia, Japan and Singapore joined last year. United Kingdom and French forces are participating in this year’s exercise, with a combined total of around 5,000 personnel.
China views the expanded exercises as a threat and accuses the US of building an Indo-Pacific alliance similar to NATO to limit China’s growing military and diplomatic influence in the region.
Brunei, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Korea and East Timor also sent observers to the two-week exercise in the coastal city of Baluran in East Java province.