Admiral Samuel Locklear, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, says a two-day naval exercise set for next week among South Korea, the United States and Japan carries a message for people in the region.

Locklear told a news conference at the Pentagon on Friday local time that South Korea and Japan are “cornerstone allies” of the U.S. in the Asia-Pacific region. He said it is “no surprise” that South Korea and Japan will be training together, referring to the joint training the U.S., South Korea and Japan have planned.

The commander said the upcoming joint training would enhance the three navies’ ability to operate together and improve the military's abilities to find flaws in the joint defense system. He also said the exercise would help neighboring nations understand the nonaggressive cooperation between the three allied countries.

The comments come after the Chinese government recently showed discomfort towards the joint exercise.

The naval forces of South Korea, the United States and Japan will take part in a joint military exercise from June 21st through the 22nd, where they will train in search and rescue operations and marine interdiction in waters south of Jeju Island.

South Korea and the U.S. will engage in another military exercise from June 23rd through the 25th in the Yellow Sea with the USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered supercarrier.