Japan's coast guard on Friday held a joint exercise with counterparts from the United States and the Philippines, as the three Pacific nations beef up defense cooperation in the face of China's expanding maritime activities.
The exercise came after Japan confirmed that two Chinese aircraft carriers had operated together for the first time in the Pacific in June. Japan and China had blamed each other after Tokyo complained that a Chinese fighter jet from one of the carriers flew dangerously close to Japanese reconnaissance aircraft.
Friday's coast guard exercise just off Japan's southern prefecture of Kagoshima involved 350 personnel from the three countries, and was based on a scenario of a collision between vessels at high seas, a fire and crew members falling overboard.
The three nation's leaders last year agreed to bolster maritime cooperation, as they expressed concern over Beijing's military maneuvers in the region. Their first joint drills were held in the Philippines in 2023.
The coast guard cooperation is part of an effort to secure a “free and open” Indo-Pacific by promoting mutual understanding and trust, Japan coast guard commander Adm. Yoshio Seguchi told a news conference Wednesday.
China routinely sends coast guard vessels, warships and warplanes around disputed East China Sea islands, and recently as far as Guam, a U.S. Pacific territory with military bases. Beijing also sends coast guard vessels in the South China Sea, which it claims virtually in its entirety, clashing frequently with Philippine vessels.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
36 Comments
Login to comment
TaiwanIsNotChina
Good to see the Philippines being supported against heinous abuse.
Agent_Neo
The Chinese Navy is also increasing its harassment following the discovery of large amounts of rare earth elements on the seabed near the Japanese territory of Okinotorishima.
We need to increase cooperation with the Philippines.
Japan's defense budget should also be increased.
Alfie Noakes
More war propaganda from the American Propaganda fake news agency.
Peter14
Continual cooperation is great to see, needs to be applauded and helps all in the region to be safe.
These exercises in dealing with fire on a ship and people in the water is a real life risk for all maritime vessels so having an ability to smoothly work together to get the best outcome is in everyone's best interests.
WiseOneIn Kansai
More IGNORANCE from the truth as can be explained in the last sentence of the article.
quercetum
The world should be appalled at these Chinese coast guards clashing with Philippine vessels.
The spraying of water has got to stop now!
quercetum
The official line is all about “freedom of navigation” and “regional cooperation,” which is diplomatic code for “Look over here while we sort out that other mess with Israel.”
Someone in Washington said, “Quick! Cue the boats, splash some water, and shout ‘Indo-Pacific stability!’ loud enough to drown out the sound of drone strikes.”
And voilà—suddenly the South China Sea is the new theatre of concern, complete with simulated collisions, overboard drills, and a suspicious lack of mention about munitions stockpiles being quietly depleted elsewhere.
deanzaZZR
Much thanks to these 3 countries helping to keep international waters safe so the greatest trading nation of the world, China, can continue to supply needed goods throughout the region and beyond.
quercetum
Sweet home Alibaba.
Take this job and ship it.
Don’t stop restructuring. Hold on to your easy money.
You outsourced your bed now go and lie in it. Japan increasing its defense budget is somehow going to help your economy?
Never mind that shipping lanes are being threatened in the Red Sea. This show must go on!
With each carefully staged maneuver, America demonstrates it can still walk the Indo-Pacific tightrope—even with both feet planted in the Middle East.
Peter14
Only if you have been living under a rock the past decade or so. Not that there is anything wrong with living under a rock.
SCS has been a concern for many for a long time, you just want to poke people for a reaction you can get a giggle from.
deanzaZZR
Oopsie
Japan scraps US meeting after Washington demands more defense spending -FT
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-scraps-us-meeting-after-washington-demands-more-defense-spending-ft-2025-06-20/
quercetum
Grant. Not new.
Indeed a concern. Cluster bombs and missiles are nothing compared with the evil water canons.
And you just want to poke at the South China Seas with no mention of the real war machine.
Peter14
Well we can talk about Russia if you like. Their invasion and years long war to take Ukraine, and the building up of a war time manufacturing where 7.2 % of GDP and growing being spent on the invasion.
Or Israel spending 8.8% of GDP on its military misadventures.
But you only want to hear about the US and its 3.4% of GDP military spending. Or perhaps the private companies within the US that manufactures arms? As if they are the only big player doing that. They are not. China has more ship building and manufacturing capacity than the US and it shows with China having the largest navy in the world and still building. Where will that stop?
Pukey2
Peter14:
SCS has been a concern for many for a long time, you just want to poke people for a reaction you can get a giggle from.
Which part of 'SCS is nowhere near Oz or US' do you not understand? US already started a war with Russia and Iran. You think they can handle another one with China? The West needs to understand this planet doesn't belong to them solely. They're in the minority.
Peter14
How is that relevant? All maritime trading nations have critical trade routes through the SCS and it is an international waterway where all nations have a right to be, whether you live in the middle of it, on the edge of it or a long long way from it.
Clearly completely false statement. the US is not at war with Russia or Iran.
Since the US is not at war, and being recognized as the worlds strongest nation, they should be able to handle a war with any nation if it happens.
The planet belongs to no human, but to all life that inhabits it. Your dislike of the West tarnishes your views regarding that. The west doesnt think the planet belongs to them, but that you assume they do shows where you stand. The worlds nations through the UN vote on rules, laws, processes and outcomes. No nation fully supports all decisions made, and they are not made by western nations alone. All know this.
JboneInTheZone
Your welcome. Thanks for making all our cheap stuff
BeerDeliveryGuy
Good news.
The JCG is no joke. Navy sailors only undergo 3 months of basic training and 3 more of MOS specific training, Coasties go through a full 16 months of CG Academy.
Their tactical teams are also considered to be equal to or better than the MSDF Special Boarding Teams.
Maybe they can teach the Philippine Coast Guard how not to get their thumbs chopped off and rifles stolen by axe-wielding Chinese maritime militia pirates.
quercetum
Why not try in dollars?
By all means, we can measure everyone’s budgets to the decimal. But it’s like turning up to a fire with a gasoline tanker and saying, “Well technically, the other guy has more matches.”
The point isn’t who spends the most—it’s what they do with it. And the U.S. does like to get its money’s worth: bases in 800+ countries, contracts fatter than a Christmas goose.
So the question isn’t who’s got the biggest shed full of toys—it’s who’s actually unwrapping them on a weekly basis you keep quiet about.
We can speak your language easily. It’s not militarization; it’s “ensuring regional stability.” Not bombing; “precision diplomacy.”
quercetum
I agree with you. The U.S. is simply engaged in robust multilateral security assistance—which just so happens to involve billions in arms, real-time intelligence, and enough HIMARS systems to start a modest arms fair. Not war—it’s partnered defense enablement with pyrotechnic flair.
Pentagon planners are whispering, “You know, we’ve only got two hot fronts and several simmering ones—surely we’ve got room for another, perhaps something splashy in the Indo-Pacific?”
What does your “not at war” really mean anymore? When the U.S. is sending billions in arms, deploying fleets, sanctioning like it’s going out of fashion, and providing real-time battlefield intelligence… we may be in the era of Schrödinger’s War: not officially declared, but very much delivered.
The U.S. isn’t “at war” with Russia, Iran, or Yemen—at least not in your traditional, congressional-vote-and-flag-waving sense. But it’s supplying weapons, deploying naval forces, running surveillance, and occasionally launching strikes or intercepts. So, it occupies this odd duality: publicly at peace, functionally at war.
I’d like to call a spade a spade. Stop beating around the bonsai.
This is Chinese: 言葉を濁すな、真実を濃くせよ。”
(Don’t water down your words—concentrate on the truth.)
Garlic eater
The markings on the US coastguard ship in the photo look like a North Korean flag.
OssanAmerica
New theater?
The US "pivot to Asia" aka Rebalance to Asia was established under the Obama administration and announced by US Sec of State Hillary Clinton in 2011.
The term a "free and open Indo-Pacific" was created by Japan's Abe adminstration and adopted by the US State Dept in 2016.
So what's so new about something that's 14 years old?
ian
Good to know they're ready for fires and crew members falling overboard during collisions.
ian
With all the bombings going on in other parts of the world it's comforting to know that all they expect and preparing for are some crew members falling overboard.
Seems they're going overboard with the news coverage though
ian
Which vessels from which countries participated? Only Japan's?
OssanAmerica
Do you bother to read any part of the article before posting?
The article headline is "Japan hosts coast guard drills with U.S. and Philippines".
ian
Yup.
You mean that title means no other vessels apart from Japan's are involved?
quercetum
…water fights.
Yes, while cities shake under drone strikes and oil terminals smoulder elsewhere, it’s reassuring to see certain regions bracing for the maritime equivalent of an overzealous garden hose. Helmets on, vests zipped—and don’t forget your snorkel, soldier. Water canons are the new nuclear weapon.
Somewhere out there, military planners are rehearsing “high-pressure deterrence scenarios” while carefully avoiding any stray droplets of accountability. Because in a world ablaze, nothing says preparedness quite like a fleet of vessels practicing synchronized splashing drills in the name of “regional stability.”
quercetum
Weak response: “but it’s not new!” Yes it’s the same old rerun and feeble attempt by the US to divert attention which you did not refute.
Once a foreign policy slogan has had its debut, clearly nothing meaningful can possibly change. We should all just go home then. After all, “Pivot to Asia” was uttered in 2011, so naturally, the past decade and a half of naval posturing, ballistic brinkmanship, and mutual sanctions were all part of one elaborate rerun.
Yes, the terminology’s ancient—practically prehistoric by Washington think tank standards—but it’s not the age of the phrase that matters, it’s the new layers of military hardware, alliances, and regional tension being generously slathered on top.
Saying “it’s not a new theatre” because the branding isn’t fresh is like insisting a house isn’t on fire because it was technically built in 2011.
We’re not talking about the same polite “pivot” of cocktail circuits and policy panels. “…water fights more vigorous than an NHK bill collector or an anchor trying to explain regional tensions without once naming the country everyone’s thinking about.”
So yes, nothing to see here—just the same theatre. The curtains are ablaze and everyone’s brought missiles instead of monologues. The real show is not in Tel Aviv and Tehran but in the South China Seas.
Five Families
I’ve got a nice house and land spread with my wife in General Santos — the tuna capital of the Philippines — and every time I’m there, I look through my Pentax 80ED scope over the sea. What do I see? Chinese commercial fishing vessels, large and small, brazenly prowling the waters like they own the place. This isn’t new. There are constant reports of these vessels encroaching near or inside the territorial waters of General Santos City. But do we ever get the full story? Of course not. By the time the Coast Guard shows up — if they show up at all — it’s already too late. The Chinese ships are long gone, and the damage is done.
This is part of a larger, more disturbing pattern — a calculated, ongoing invasion of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone by China’s maritime forces, both civilian and otherwise. And it’s infuriating.
Tuna run in massive schools through these waters — it’s our natural resource, our livelihood, our economic lifeline. But what can the people of General Santos do? Virtually nothing. They sit helpless while these foreign fleets plunder our seas and rob the local fishing communities of their income, their dignity, and their future. This isn’t just unfair — it’s theft on an international scale, and it’s happening in plain sight. And still, nothing gets done.
Enough is enough.
TaiwanIsNotChina
This but unironically: the Chinese have no business harassing vessels more than 24nm from Hainan.
OssanAmerica
MOD why don't you delete this nonsense??
ian
Hahahaha
ian
Try a little harder dude
Agent_Neo
In any case, China is a cancer in Asia, and it is fair to say that it is China's fault that Japan has no choice but to move in the direction of strengthening its defense capabilities.
Countries other than the Philippines that have territorial disputes with China will likely need to cooperate with the United States and Japan in the future.
HopeSpringsEternal
Practice makes perfect, but would strongly suggest they also 'train' with underwater/sub-surface drones, as that's the future of naval combat
OssanAmerica
Grounds for getting banned.