Amid China and Japan clashing over the Taiwan issue, the joint military exercise Balikatan involving the United States·the Philippines·Japan began on the 8th. The Japan Self-Defense Forces are dispatching ground troops to this exercise for the first time and taking part at an unprecedented scale, which could further heighten China-Japan tensions.

According to AFP and the Philippine daily Inquirer, from today through the 8th of next month the Balikatan (shoulder to shoulder) exercise will be conducted across the Philippine archipelago. Since 1991, Balikatan has been a joint military exercise held annually from late April to early May by the U.S. and Philippine armed forces. This year, partner countries Australia, Canada, France, Japan, and New Zealand are also participating, bringing total troop strength to 17,000. In addition, 17 other countries are joining as observers.

In recent years, Balikatan has coincided with rising U.S.-China tensions. During the exercise last year, it emerged that the United States had already deployed to the Philippines its latest anti-ship missile system, the ‘Naval/Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System’ (Nemesis), drawing protests from China. The 2024 exercise was held for the first time in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea (called Nansha by China, Kalayaan by the Philippines, and Truong Sa by Vietnam), where China and the Philippines are engaged in a sovereignty dispute.

Japanese participation is particularly notable this year. Japan has dispatched 1,400 personnel to the Philippines, including 1,000 Ground Self-Defense Force members. This is the largest SDF deployment to date, and it is the first time since World War II that Japan has sent combat forces to Philippine territory. The Maritime Self-Defense Force has sent the escort ships Ise and Ikazuchi, the transport ship Shimokita, and a US-2 rescue flying boat; the Air Self-Defense Force has sent C-130H transport aircraft; and the Ground Self-Defense Force has deployed the Type 88 surface-to-ship guided missile with a range of about 100 km.

Until last year, Japan participated as an observer, focusing on non-combat personnel such as emergency response in disaster situations. This year, with the United States tied down by issues in the Middle East, Japan is effectively supplementing it in the South China Sea. Earlier, on the 17th, the escort ship Ikazuchi transited the Taiwan Strait en route to the Philippines, provoking a strong backlash from China.

In response to a transit of the Taiwan Strait by an SDF vessel, the Chinese military countered by passing through the Yokoate Strait. On the 19th, Xu Chenghua, spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command, said that a formation centered on ship 133 passed through the Yokoate Strait and conducted military training in the western Pacific. The Yokoate Strait, between the Amami Islands north of Okinawa and Yokoate Island, is a gateway for the Chinese military to cross the first island chain into the western Pacific. The spokesperson stated, “As part of routine training, it was not aimed at any particular country”.

So far, the response by the Chinese military is being assessed as customary. Professor Ni Lexiong of the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law told the Hong Kong South China Morning Post, “China is currently seeking to avoid escalation because placing a strategic focus on the Middle East is a diplomatic priority. It will not overreact to moves by Japan”.

At a regular briefing on the 20th, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jakun, answering a question about the Balikatan exercise, said, “Regional peace and stability must not be undermined, and the interests of third parties must not be targeted or harmed”. In response to a separate question about protests in Japan against revising the pacifist constitution, he added, “Preventing the resurrection of the specter of militarism is a duty of Japan and the firm will of the international community, including China”, and, “We urge Japan to learn the lessons of history, fulfill its international obligations, and follow the path of peaceful development”.