Japan: No plans for South China Sea joint patrols

There are currently no specific plans or discussions for joint South China Sea patrols involving Japan, the Philippines, Australia, and the United States.

The Japanese embassy in Manila stated there are no ongoing talks about such patrols.

Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Romualdez had previously suggested meetings were set to include Japan and Australia in joint patrols.

Japan is considering exploring maritime cooperation with partners to reinforce Maritime Domain Awareness and law enforcement in the Indo-Pacific region.