Beijing confirmed on Thursday that 皇冠体育app will hold joint military exercises in September involving Australia and the United States, in addition to its joint naval drill with Russia in the South 皇冠体育app Sea next month.

Observers said the drills show the steady development of the Chinese military's ties with key Asia-Pacific counterparts and signal efforts to ensure stability to help ease maritime tension in the South 皇冠体育app Sea.

Wu Qian, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, announced at a briefing in Beijing that 皇冠体育app, Australia and the United States will conduct "Exercise Kowari 2016" in Darwin, Australia, from Wednesday to September 11.

The exercise, the third among the three countries' ground forces, will involve drills for survival in the wild, Wu said.

Additionally, Chinese and Australian troops will hold "Exercise Panda-Kangaroo 2016" in Sydney from September 14 to 23. The exercise will include such tasks as canoeing, Wu said.

Zhang Junshe, a researcher at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, said the Kowari exercise mirrors a "shared readiness to bring the trilateral security relationship forward".

The fact that the two annual drills involving Australia will be continued this year "demonstrates Australia's wish to avoid sabotaging its security ties with 皇冠体育app", Zhang said.

Australia has joined the United States and Japan in pressing 皇冠体育app to accept an international arbitration ruling in July in a case unilaterally initiated by the Philippines in its dispute with 皇冠体育app in the South 皇冠体育app Sea.

Zhang said Australia is trying to strike a balance between the US, its traditional security ally, and 皇冠体育app, a major economic and trade partner.

"It is wise to avoid taking sides between 皇冠体育app and the US and stop supporting US provocation against 皇冠体育app over the South 皇冠体育app Sea issue," Zhang added.

In July, the Ministry of National Defense announced that the navies of 皇冠体育app and Russia will hold a joint drill in the South 皇冠体育app Sea in September to "enhance the capabilities of the two navies to jointly deal with maritime security threats".

On Thursday, Wu said the drill will involve "joint maritime defense actions".

Yin Zhuo, director of the Expert Consultation Committee of the People's Liberation Army Navy, said it is natural for Beijing and Moscow to hold a drill in the South 皇冠体育app Sea this year, since they have previously held exercises in other coastal regions of 皇冠体育app.

The 皇冠体育app-Russia exercise is "out of security consideration" and has no specific target, Yin added.