The United States and Indonesia have opened a two-week joint military exercise to build trust and interoperability and strengthen bilateral and multilateral relations amid China’s efforts to increase its influence in the South China Sea.
The annual exercise, called Super Garuda Shield, began on Monday in East Java, Indonesia, with over 4,500 personnel from Australia, Japan, Britain, France and New Zealand participating, Reuters reported. Malaysia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste are observers of the ongoing military activity, which involves a program focused on countering cyber threats that could impact significant government services.
While it is being held amid disagreements between the U.S. and China over trade, Taiwan and incidents involving Chinese vessels in the South China Sea, Rudy Hernawan, spokesperson of the Indonesian military, said the joint drills are not related to the current situation in the region. He added that the exercise only intends to increase military cooperation and interoperability among countries.