Japanese and Taiwanese coast guards hold joint search and rescue drill off Japan's eastern coast

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese and Taiwanese coast guards conducted what is believed to be their first joint drill off Japan's eastern coast, officials said Friday, a move seen as an effort to expand maritime cooperation amid concern about China's increasingly assertive activity in regional seas.

The drill was held amid escalating tension between China and Taiwan. Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out using force to take it.

China routinely sends coast guard vessels into waters surrounding Japanese-controlled disputed islands in the East China Sea, confronting Japanese patrol ships.

However, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi Friday denied the drill targeted any specific country, including China.

“It was part of practical cooperation and exchanges in the area of maritime search and rescue operations,” Hayashi said, adding, “we do not have China or any other third country in mind.”

Thursday's drill involved a Japan Coast Guard patrol boat Sagami and Taiwan's Hsun Hu No. 9 off the southern coast of Chiba, officials said, but declined to give any other details. The Taiwanese ship has been on a patrol mission on high seas to protect fishing boats and made a refueling stop in the Tokyo bay ahead of the drill, Japan's NHK television said.

Hayashi said Taiwan is Japan’s “extremely important partner and a precious friend” that shares basic values, economic ties and people exchanges. Tokyo plans to deepen cooperation and ties with Taiwan further based on “ the Japanese government position of maintaining nongovernment, practical relations,” he said.

Japan in 1972 established diplomatic ties with China, switching recognition from Taiwan to Beijing under the one-China policy, but has since maintained nongovernmental ties through representative offices on each side.

Tokyo has been stepping up its coast guard capability and expanding joint exercises. Japan’s coast guard had its first trilateral joint search and rescue drills with the U.S. and South Korean counterparts in June. Last year, Japanese and U.S. coast guards provided capacity-building support to their Philippine counterparts.