The South China Sea has remained tense for the past several years with China bullying around other stakeholders in the region like Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. And now, the region is heating up with Japanese, Taiwanese and American submarines prowling in the hotly contested region in a bid to push back against Chinese belligerence.
Apart from the submarine, the exercise also involved two destroyers and one patrol plane from Japan. The US too sent destroyer USS Milius (DDG-69) and a U.S. Navy P-8A maritime patrol aircraft for the joint drill with Japan. The exercise reportedly included anti-submarine training by tracking a submarine navigating underwater.
Meanwhile, the Taiwanese Navy too has reportedly deployed one of its two most advanced submarines in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
The Republic of China National Defense Report 2021, which was released on Tuesday, stated that the Hai Lung (Sea Dragon) submarine from the 256th Fleet successfully took part in several missions including “the Navy and Air Force missile shooting drill, Lie Jin (Whale-hunting) drill, routine patrol and tactical combat drill in Nansha (Spratly) Islands, and combat-ready patrol and Hai Qiang anti-submarine drill.”
Other countries getting involved in the South China Sea
Japan and the US remain the main Indo-Pacific powers interested in the South China Sea. However, other military powers too are confronting Chinese expansionism. France, for example, has been expanding its naval activity in the region by routinely dispatching warships to the disputed region. Germany too is cementing its defence ties with Tokyo and even sent its frigate Bayern to Japan after 2 days of joint drill with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Samidare in the Pacific Ocean.
Amongst the Quad members, Australia and India too are backing up the larger efforts to contain China. Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton recently said that Canberra would aid the US in defending Taiwan if China attacked the island nation.
Dutton said, “China’s been very clear about their intent with regard to Taiwan.” The Defence Minister added, “Equally, the United States has been clear about their intention toward Taiwan. Nobody wants to see conflict, but that really is a question for the Chinese.”
India too is very clear about linking the ongoing border tensions with China in the Himalayas with the South China Sea. Over the past one year or so, India has shown a tendency of sending its naval assets to the South China Sea and coordinating with like-minded countries in the region, whenever border tensions heat up between New Delhi and Beijing.
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