U.S. and Indonesia wrap up multinational Indo-Pacific drills

SITUBONDO, Indonesia -- The U.S. and Indonesia on Friday concluded two-week-long joint military exercises that included the recapture of remote islands, with Japan, South Korea and other countries taking part to show a deeper unity towards stability in the region, including South China Sea.

"Deterring conflict in the Indo-Pacific cannot be achieved by one country alone," Major Gen. Hajime Kitajima, commander of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, told a news conference in Situbondo, East Java. "This is why we want to strengthen our ties with many like-minded countries."