Japan will join the United States and India in a joint naval exercise in waters near Okinawa Prefecture in mid-June, a government source said Monday.

    The joint exercise is aimed at strengthening the three countries' ties in the field of maritime security and also keeping in check China's expanding maritime activities in the East and South China seas, (Kyodo) quoted the source as saying.

    It is the third consecutive year for the Maritime Self-Defense Force to join Exercise Malabar. The joint exercise was conducted for the first time by the US and Indian navies in 1992.

Source: QNA