US, Indonesia set to hold largest joint military exercise in South Sumatra next month

This handout photo taken on August 4, 2021 and released by the Indonesia Army shows Major General Heri Wiranto (left) meeting with US Captain David Moats during a rollcall with Indonesian and US Army soldiers at the Mulawarman headquarters in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, to kick off the largest-ever joint-training between the armies of the two nations with more than 4,500 soldiers taking part in the Garuda Shield exercise. - AFP

JAKARTA, July 26 (The Straits Times/ANN): Indonesia and the United States are set to hold their largest military exercises in August, dispelling worries about a rift in their relationship over China's growing investments in the South-East Asian country.

Indo-Pacific nations in the Indian and Pacific Oceans have had to navigate increasing hostility between China and the US, as both superpowers stepped up diplomatic overtures in the geopolitically important region.