Helicopters buzzed in the shadow of a smoldering volcano and boats rescued dummies from the sea last week in a show of maritime unity by Japan, the United States and the Philippines.

Japan’s coast guard has held a joint exercise with counterparts from the United States and the Philippines, as the three Pacific nations beef up defense cooperation in the face of China’s expanding maritime activities.

The drills, which will include simulated search and rescue exercise later this week, follow exercises that were held in the Philippines in June 2023.