Japanese F-2 fighter jets are deploying to India for the first time as part of Exercise Veer Guardian, one of four overlapping multinational exercises by US allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific. Tokyo will also be training with Australia, South Korea, Canada and New Zealand in a series of increasingly complex drills designed to strengthen interoperability and regional deterrence. Meanwhile, China has denounced Japan's expanding military role as dangerous "militarization," even as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducts its own overseas exercises with Singapore, Egypt and others. Can countries such as Singapore successfully hedge between Washington and Beijing — and how do these military drills fit into that strategy? In this episode, we examine the growing network of Indo-Pacific military exercises, Japan's defensive strategy and how other countries in the region are navigating the US-China rivalry.
*Recorded on September 8, 2026 at 11am Taiwan Standard Time
Host/Senior Producer: Yin Khvat
Planner: Miguel Yang
Research Assistant: April Lin
Videographer: Damon Lin
Our guests:
Tony Hu
- Former US Department of Defense Senior Director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia
Renato Cruz de Castro
- De La Salle University Department of International Studies Distinguished Professor
Grant Newsham
- Retired US Marine Corps Colonel
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