US, Indonesia, Australia hold drills amid China concerns

By FADLAN SYAM and NINIEK KARMINI
Associated Press

BATURAJA, Indonesia (AP) — Soldiers from the U.S., Indonesia and Australia have joined a live-fire drill, part of annual joint combat exercises on Sumatra island amid growing Chinese maritime activity in the Indo-Pacific region. A total of more than 5,000 personnel from the U.S., Indonesia, Australia, Japan and Singapore are participating in this year’s exercises, making them the largest since they began in 2009. The expanded drills are seen by China as a threat. Chinese state media have accused the U.S. of building an Indo-Pacific alliance, similar to NATO, to limit China’s growing military and diplomatic influence in the region.