Expect more joint SCS patrols, US says ahead of summits

More joint patrols can be expected in the South China Sea after drills by the United States, Australia, the Philippines, and Japan last weekend, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday, ahead of US summits this week with the Japanese and Philippine leaders.

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Warships from the four nations staged the exercises on Sunday following stepped up Chinese pressure on the Philippines in the disputed strategic waterway.

US President Joe Biden hosts Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Washington on Wednesday. The two and President Marcos will meet on Thursday for talks that will include ways to push back against China.

"On the naval patrols, we just saw trilateral plus Australia, a new form of quadrilateral joint naval patrols last week, so you can expect to see more of that in the future," Sullivan told a regular White House briefing while previewing the summits.

Sullivan also said Washington and its existing Australian and British partners in the AUKUS security pact would explore possible Japanese involvement in Pillar II of the project, something the Biden-Kishida summit would address.