Japan Boosts Military Push Against China With US Stand Vague

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, center, during his visit to the Philippine Coast Guard Headquarters in Metro Manila, the Philippines, on April 30. Photographer: Daniel Ceng/Anadolu/Getty Images

Japan is stepping up efforts to deter China’s military ambitions in the Asia-Pacific as Tokyo and other US partners seek clarity from the Trump administration about its plans to counter Beijing’s power in the region.

For the first time, Japan sent destroyers through the Taiwan Strait on two occasions in recent months, according to a person familiar with the operations, a sign of its willingness to directly challenge China over the waterway and the self-governing island it claims as its own.