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French carrier to lead joint amphibious Pacific drill with Japanese, U. S. personnel in show of force aimed at China

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In a display of military power aimed at China, France will dispatch one of its powerful Mistral amphibious carriers to lead drills on and around Tinian isl
In a display of military power aimed at China, France will dispatch one of its powerful Mistral amphibious carriers to lead drills on and around Tinian island in the Western Pacific, with Japanese and U. S. personnel and two troop-carrying helicopters sent by Britain, two sources have said.
“Rather than just being a naval exercise, this amphibious exercise will send a clear message to China,” said one of the sources, who were not authorized to talk to the media and so asked not to be identified.
The exercise will take place in the second and third week of May, the other source said.
As China’s military strength grows with the addition of power-projecting aircraft carriers, Beijing is extending its influence beyond its coastal waters into the Pacific. The move worries Japan and the United States, but is also a concern for France, which controls several Pacific island territories, including New Caledonia and French Polynesia.
China is building a second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, which when complete will join the Liaoning, which was bought from Ukraine in 1998 and refitted in China.

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