US, Japan Condemn China's Provocative Activities in SCS

US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba have condemned China for "provocative activities" in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely.

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"The two leaders reaffirmed their strong opposition to the PRC's unlawful maritime claims, militarization of reclaimed features and threatening and provocative activities in the South China Sea," a joint statement on Friday said after Trump and Ishiba met in Washington, referring to China by the abbreviation of its official name.

In Manila, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it is looking forward to joint exercises with the coast guards of the US, Japan and Australia, similar to the sixth Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) carried out with the naval forces of the three allies.

The recent MMCA saw the deployment of frigates and patrol ships, as well as fighter jets and search and rescue assets in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea.