The U.S., Japan and Australia will hold a joint military exercise near Japan’s Kyushu Island in the Pacific Ocean early next month.

Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported Wednesday that the three countries will hold the joint military drill from June sixth for three days. Naval vessels, patrol planes and submarines will take part in the exercise.

The U.S., Japan and Australia have been strengthening security cooperation over the past several years due to China’s growing military clout. The upcoming military exercise is also seen as a move to keep China in check.

The head of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force, Admiral Masahiko Sugimoto, said that the three countries’ cooperation is important in the Asia-Pacific region. Sugimoto vowed to further strengthen trilateral cooperation through the exercise.