Australia and the United States began their biggest ever joint military exercises on Thursday, a show of force, largely at sea, aimed at sending a message both to allies and potential foes, including China.
The exercises involving 33,000 U.S. and Australian troops on board battleships equipped with strike jets, comes as tension over China's more assertive activity, particularly in the disputed South China Sea, has raised fears of confrontation.
Admiral Harry Harris, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, asked how he thought China would view the exercises, said the size of the deployment was intended as a signal.
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