Australia Joins US and Japan to Counter Beijing’s Aggression in South China Sea

As Manila and Beijing escalate their dispute over the South China Sea, Australia will join the Philippines and Japan in joint naval exercises this weekend in a clear show of support for the Pacific nation. Beijing has long claimed almost the entire Sea as its territory, and patrols it with a fleet of coastguard vessels, some more than 1,000 km (620 miles) from its mainland. This has caused ongoing conflict with nearby nations, and the two countries have had a series of on-water confrontations including water cannon use, and heated verbal exchanges. Most recently, Beijing attempted to disrupt supply missions to Filipino soldiers stationed on a grounded warship within its claimed territorial waters....