By Alimat Aliyeva

Japan, the European Union, and five Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines, will conduct incident response exercises in the so-called "gray zone" at the end of March. These exercises will address situations where incidents pose a threat but do not directly involve armed attacks.

The two-day exercises will begin on March 25 in Bangkok, and personnel from the national coast guard services of the participating countries will take part.

The "gray zone" refers to ambiguous situations that fall between peaceful and conflict-driven scenarios. Examples of such incidents include Chinese maritime police boats entering areas near the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu), which Japan considers its territorial waters, as well as cases of damage to underwater cables in Europe.

During the exercises, participants will focus on responding to incursions into territorial waters using Coast Guard services, rather than military interventions. They will also examine the application of international law in cases involving damage to underwater cables.

This will be the first time Japan and the European Union have jointly participated in such exercises. According to NHK, Brussels aims to collaborate with Tokyo to address China’s growing maritime activity. A European source told the TV channel that the EU is concerned about Beijing's actions at sea, emphasizing the importance of "supporting the rule of law" alongside countries that "share common values."

The exercises represent a growing international effort to address the increasing challenges of maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region, where geopolitical tensions continue to rise. By strengthening collaboration between nations that are facing similar maritime threats, these drills aim to improve regional stability and safeguard vital maritime trade routes.