Japan, US, South Korean coast guards hold 1st joint drill off Japan’s coast as China concerns rise

Japanese, US and South Korean coast guard ships have conducted their first three-way exercise off the Japanese coast as the countries strengthen their maritime ties in response to China’s increased assertiveness in pushing its territorial claims

TOKYO — Japanese, US and South Korean coast guard ships conducted their first three-way exercise off the coast of Japan on Thursday, as the countries strengthen their maritime ties in response to China’s increased assertiveness in pushing its territorial claims.

Skirmishes between Chinese and Philippine coast guard ships have escalated in the South China Sea, raising fears that the disputes could escalate into an armed conflict between China and the United States, a longtime ally of the Philippines.

Thursday’s joint exercise followed an agreement between the leaders of the three countries last August to enhance security cooperation to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Patrol vessels from each country and two helicopters took part in search and rescue operations in the waters off the northern coast of Maizuru in Kyoto Prefecture, based on a scenario of rescuing crew members of a South Korean ship that caught fire after colliding with another boat, the Japanese coast guard said.

Japan has significantly strengthened its defenses in southwestern Japan in recent years, including Okinawa and the outer islands considered strategically important, in response to growing Chinese assertiveness and tensions around Taiwan, a self-governing island claimed by Beijing.

Coast guards from Japan, the United States and South Korea signed an agreement last month to work together to conserve maritime resources, counter illegal fishing, conduct search and rescue operations and improve maritime law enforcement capabilities in the region.

China routinely sends coast guard ships to the waters around disputed islands controlled by Japan.