The Komodo naval exercises kicked off on Monday in the Makassar Strait in northern Indonesia. The U.S.
military has stepped up operations in the Asia-Pacific region in the face of China's growing influence. The exercises, which will run until next Thursday, aim to enhance trust and cooperation between the naval forces of the countries participating in exercises focused on non-military humanitarian operations. They also aim to strengthen communication between the navies of countries with a military presence in the seas of the region.