The first-ever trilateral maritime exercise was held by the coast guards of the United States, Japan, and the Philippines in the South China Sea to boost defense cooperation in the face of China’s growing assertiveness. The week-long Kaagapay exercise saw around 400 coast guard personnel from the three nations participate in the event, held from June 1 in the Philippine waters off Bataan province. While the Philippines deployed four vessels, the U.S. and Japanese coast guards deployed two ships each. The focus was on enhancing interoperability through communication and maneuvering exercises, and maritime law enforcement training, search and rescue, and passing exercises. Australia also participated as an observer in the trilateral maritime exercise. The US-Japan-Philippines-Australia Defense Talks were held on June 3 on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defense summit in Singapore. The defense ministers of the four nations discussed regional issues of common interest and opportunities to expand cooperation, aiming to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.