The United States and China are participating in a multilateral naval exercise hosted by Indonesia, which commenced on Monday amid strained relations between the two major powers over Taiwan.
The Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo is taking place in the Makassar Strait, Indonesia, and will last until Thursday. The United States and China were among the 36 participating countries, which also included Russia, India, and Japan.
Adm. Yudo Margono, the Indonesian Armed Forces commander, said the naval drill is a “non-war exercise” that aims to strengthen the countries’ cooperation in disaster management and humanitarian responses.
Around 15 foreign vessels arrived at Sulawesi Island on Monday as the Komodo exercise began, the Indonesian Navy said. This came as the United States and China ramped up military diplomacy in the region, staging more frequent war games with allies around Taiwan….