European powers step up air, sea drills in Japan's backyard -- and China's

Italy, Germany and France among nations sending ships and planes to region

20240620N Turkey navy

Personnel from the Turkish navy and Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force gather for a photo in front of a new Turkish corvette in Tokyo. © Kyodo

SHIMPEI KAWAKAMI, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- European countries are sending more air and sea forces to Asia for defense exercises with Japan, bringing them closer to what remains a distant security challenge: China.

A destroyer from Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force held an exercise with a Turkish navy corvette on Sunday. Earlier this month, a Dutch frigate participated in the Netherlands' first joint exercise with an MSDF destroyer before heading to the upcoming U.S.-led international Rim of the Pacific exercise off Hawaii.

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