MAGADAN, August 22. /TASS/. The United States has been expanding its military infrastructure in the Asia Pacific region to preserve its supposed hegemony, bringing its presence that much closer to the borders of Russia and China, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev said on Tuesday.

"It’s worth noting that the United States continues to provoke tension and instability in the Asia-Pacific region with the aim of preserving its supposed hegemony. It has been recklessly expanding its military infrastructure, bringing it closer to the borders of Russia and China. They set up the AUKUS (US, UK, Australia) military bloc and are considering supplying weapons to Taiwan and establishing a new Quad in the Pacific, involving Japan, Australia and the Philippines," Patrushev told a meeting in Magadan on security issues in the Russian Far East.

Earlier, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that Australia, the United States and Japan will hold joint naval drills in the South China Sea on August 23. According to the agency, the three countries will send large warships to an area near the Philippines.