A warning to China? Japan joins U.S., Australian joint Pacific exercise

Operation Talisman Sabre will see 40 Japanese troops imbedded with U.S. military

Talisman Sabre, a major, biennial joint U.S.-Australian military exercise taking place in the Pacific, will gain a new and unexpected partner due to increased concerns over China's recent actions in the Pacific and the South China Sea.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Japan will join the operation for the first time, a sign of its wariness over recent Chinese aggressive actions. This force will comprise of only 40 officers and soldiers among 30,000 U.S. and Australian military forces, but is still a signal that Japan wishes for closer security cooperation with its allies.

These operations will include maritime operations, amphibious landings, special forces drills and urban warfare training in and around Australia.

"I think the U.S. is trying to get its allies to do more," said the director of the International Security Program at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Euan Graham. "There is an obvious symmetry between Japan as the upper anchor of the Western Pacific alliance and . Australia as the southern anchor."

Previously the three allies have been worried about a restriction of freedom of movement throughout the disputed regions in the South China Sea, an area where China is creating seven artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago, a shipping corridor that is vital to many southeast and east Asian nations, including China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Philippines.

Security experts worry that China may start imposing air and sea restrictions in and around the Spratlys following its island construction. One of the islands will be an airstrip and other will allow for refueling or staging points.

Currently China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, including vast mineral and resource rights, and has the best claim as far as the ability to enforce it goes. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan also all have claims to the region, though these are harder to enforce because of China's regional power.

During the operation, Japanese troops will be embedded with U.S. forces while about 500 New Zealand troops are set to join the Australians.

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