India, the US and Japan will hold this year's Malabar naval exercise in the northern part of the Philippine Sea.
Chief of US Pacific Command Admiral Harry Harris said, "I think it is going to be held in the northern part of the Philippine Sea. I think including another high-end military power like Japan in Malabar increases the complexities and allows India and US to work with Japanese."
Speaking at a seminar here, he added that the exercise is an important element for assessing the maritime capabilities of all the three countries.
Harris said everyone has a vested interest in ensuring the region remains secure, stable and prosperous.
He pointed out that USD 5.3 trillion in trade passes through the Indian Ocean and South China Sea each year.
"How Indo-Asia-Pacific nations employ naval forces to support these economic interests matters greatly," he said.
Reacting sharply to India's move in December last year of including Japan in the Indo-US Malabar naval exercises on a permanent basis, China had said it is hopeful Tokyo will not "provoke confrontation" and "heighten tensions" in the region.
China is in a territorial dispute with Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam over the South China Sea. There are overlapping claims over the waters.
