Nikkei wrote that the U.S. Navy and the MSDF invited the press to cover their joint exercises in the Pacific involving the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson on Tuesday. The paper speculated that the drills were conducted based on the scenario of responding to China’s maritime activities. The paper wrote that the MSDF has been conducting joint anti-submarine drills with the United States, Australia, Canada, and Germany since Nov. 21 in waters around Japan. 

NHK reported on Tuesday that Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Fleet Commander in Chief, Vice Admiral Yuasa Hideki, and the U.S. Seventh Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, held a joint news conference on the USS Carl Vinson earlier in the day. The network said the two commanders stressed that the United States and Japan will enhance their ties to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific together with friendly nations.