Singapore is hosting a series of multilateral maritime security activities that include a two-day weekend sea exercise involving 18 warships and a seminar, the Jakarta Post reported. The events are being attended by navies from countries including China, Japan, Russia, the United States and France, the Defense Ministry said.

The navies will use simulators in a tactical training exercise to establish procedures in dealing with maritime security threats, the ministry said. The maritime exercise, which starts Saturday in the South China Sea, will enable the participants to practice these tactics, the ministry said. Aside from Singapore, the other participating countries are: Australia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Tonga, Malaysia, Brunei, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand. Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore began coordinating their sea patrols of the Straits of Malacca - through which half the world's oil trade and a third of global commerce passes - in July2004 after prodding from Washington. They started air patrols two years ago.