On 28–29 September 2022, SIPRI hosted an online expert workshop on ‘Promoting a Free and Open Indo-Pacific: Naval Incident Management in Asia and Europe’.
The workshop was held in a virtual format over two half-days and brought together more than 20 academic, legal and technical experts from China, Europe, Japan, South East Asia and the United States. Additionally, approximately 40 online observers had the opportunity to learn from the experts’ experiences in exploring a more comprehensive naval incident management mechanism.
The event offered participants and observers a greater understanding of the current maritime security environment in the context of geopolitical competition. It explored the different approaches to reducing risk in naval incidents between East Asia—particularly in the East China Sea and the South China Sea—and Europe, the emerging risk of cyber impacts on naval operations, and recommendations for how existing and future mechanisms in East Asia and Europe can complement each other.
Findings from this online workshop and related research will be published in the spring of 2023.