Japan to Join Balikatan 2012

[balipseyev]

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The Self-Defense Forces will participate for the first time in joint annual military exercises involving U.S. and Filipino forces in the Philippines from the end of this month to April, Japanese and Filipino diplomatic sources said Saturday.

Australia and South Korea are also expected to take part for the first time in the exercises, called "Balikatan," a Filipino word meaning "shoulder to shoulder."

The multilateralization of the exercise apparently reflects a move by the United States to stand up to China's recent provocations in the South China Sea.

The main staging area of this year's Balikatan will be off Palawan Island in the South China Sea, and nearby waters

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120305a5.html

[SsprinterT]

Hope this ain't the beginning.........morag naa jud raba pod nay gisaligan ang "sleeping giant" china.

world peace!!

[lhorenzoo]

is this good or what

[balipseyev]

This will surely provoke China....

[lhorenzoo]

liman kag apil ang s korea og japan..ang china ani kay magkusmod ni..

[mudskipper77]

i'm anxious sa next statement about ani gikan sa Tsina.

[SPRINGFIELD_XD_40]

BALIKATAN has been excercised for many years na . This is nothing new in the Philippine waters .

[Ice Knight 7]

What? Japan?! Man! Maayo onta og naa nay mecha sa ilahang disposal kay aron more + points... in case a war breaks lose... which I do not want to happen for many people will die in that way.

[elvandesantos]

BALIKATAN has been excercised for many years na . This is nothing new in the Philippine waters .

japan and korea joining "balikatan" is new. maybe for the near future the word "balikatan" would be coined as joint military exercise.

[mudskipper77]

nidaghan naman participants aning balikatan. unsa mani nga indication?