The annual joint naval exercise between the US and India, scheduled for October, is expected to include Japan as well, aiming to strengthen cooperation in the region.

The United States, India, and Japan are scheduled to hold joint naval exercises this October. (Illustrative image: US Navy)

Military officials from the three countries are meeting at a U.S. military base in Yokosuka, Japan, to discuss joint exercises, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources.New Delhi said.

A Japanese government official in Tokyo also confirmed the meeting. However, a spokesperson for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force said that no official decision had been made regarding Tokyo's participation.

During the meeting, which runs until tomorrow, representatives from the participating countries will also discuss deployment plans for warships and aircraft, interoperability, and logistical issues in the Bay of Bengal in the northeastern Indian Ocean. The US and India have previously deployed aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines to bilateral exercises.

Observers suggest that New Delhi's decision to expand the annual Malabar military exercise with the US, which now includes Japan, indicates a closer relationship between the three countries.

Jeff Smith, a South Asia expert at the American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC), said that Japan's involvement inMalabar took place against the backdrop of Tokyo increasing its military presence in response to China's increasingly assertive actions.

InIn Sri Lanka, China deployed submarines last year and has similar operations there.The events in Karachi last May prompted the government of Indian Prime Minister Modi to accelerate naval modernization and strengthen cooperation with other major powers.

The Indian Ocean is becoming a new global hub for trade and energy flows, accounting for up to 50% of containerized cargo traffic and 70% of oil shipments.

Japan also criticized China today for deploying 16 oil rigs near the disputed area in the East China Sea. Tokyo also protested China's land reclamation activities on reefs in the South China Sea, where Beijing is in dispute with several ASEAN countries.

(According to VNExpress)