Asian media reports said the US and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations will conduct their first all-included maritime exercises in September near Thailand. “It’s just diplomatic smoke signals and should not be taken beyond that, but even as a diplomatic smoke signal it has to be seriously by China,” said Assoc Prof Alan Chong at the RSIS in Singapore. Participants will probably do “low-intensity” work such as responding to mock accidents and making rescues, said Collin Koh, maritime security research fellow at NTU Singapore.