The Philippines held a joint patrol in the South China Sea that included forces from Japan, Australia, the U.S. and New Zealand on Saturday. The joint patrol was the fourth multilateral maritime cooperative activity held to date.

The Philippines is conducting Saturday joint maritime drills within its territorial waters with the defense forces of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Romeo Brawner Jr.

MANILA: Australia and the Philippines said their militaries would conduct a joint maritime activity with Japan, New Zealand and the United States in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, which covers one of Asia's most sensitive sites.

New Zealand, for the very first time since similar activities began, has joined Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the United States in a multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MMCA) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Five countries conduct a joint sail in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, as foreign ministers gather to discuss ‘Maritime Safety and Security in the Asia-Pacific’ in New York

The US, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Philippines will undertake a joint military activity in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea on Sept. 28.

In this January 2020 file photo, Philippine Navy personnel join their US, Indian and Japanese counterparts in a maritime exercise in the South China Sea. Courtesy of the Philippine Navy MANILA (UPDATED) — The militaries of the Philippines,