Japan conducts drills to prevent "gray zone" situations at sea

On July 6, Kyodo news agency quoted a Japanese government source as saying that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) will soon hold their first joint exercise in the waters near Tokyo to deal with "gray zone" collision situations - that is, not yet at the level where military attacks against Japan could occur.

According to the source, in the exercise scheduled to take place near Izu Oshima Island, about 120 km south of Tokyo, the JCG will determine the locations, speeds and number of intruding ships and then share the information with the MSDF so that this force can take charge of dealing with the ships.

In a series of new security bills being discussed by Japan's parliament, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government wants a mechanism that would allow the Cabinet to approve by telephone the rapid deployment of the SDF to deal with "gray zone" clashes, including a situation where an armed group posing as fishermen occupies a remote Japanese island.

The exercise is likely to upset China as the two governments are planning to sign an agreement this month to establish a maritime communication mechanism to avoid accidental collisions in the East China Sea./.

(According to AFP/TTXVN,VN+)