anti-piracy cooperation proposals to ASEAN members. These proposals included having the JCG patrol regional waters alongside ASEAN maritime forces so as to establish a "regional coast guard body," strengthening state support for shipping companies, and improved coordination of regional responses to maritime attacks. Representatives for Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore expressed interest in the idea, although further discussions held by Obuchi's successor Yoshirō Mori did not yield as warm responses, and Chinese representatives questioned the need for any regional anti-piracy cooperation. Nonetheless, these ideas finally materialised somewhat in 2001 when armed JCG ships ventured into foreign waters in order to provide Indian, Thai, and Filipino maritime forces with anti-piracy training. Some other nations which took part in these exercises for the first time were Brunei and Indonesia in 2002, as well as Singapore in 2003. Nonetheless, successive efforts by Japanese authorities to further promote a multilateral and regional maritime defense system have stalled due to disagreements and lack of commitment by regional powers, and Japanese players have tended to favour bilateral discussions instead. Establishment of 118 emergency number In May 2000, JCG introduced a nationwide emergency number, 118, for reporting accidents at sea, oil spills, suspicious vessels, smuggling, and illegal immigration. It can be dialed from mobile phones, landline phones, public phones, and marine radiotelephones in Japan. In 2018, there were 5,028 calls to 118 regarding accidents or possible accidents at sea. Battle of Amami-Ōshima On December 22, 2001, JCG ships intercepted a Chinese-flagged vessel believed to be North Korean in origin, in the Japanese Exclusive Economic Zone between Kyushu and China. When the vessel failed to respond, she was fired upon by the JCG and an exchange of gunfire resulted. The unidentified vessel sank in the Chinese EEZ with all hands. The ship, later salvaged by the JCG, was found to be carrying weapons and spy equipment. The wreck and its contents were put on display at the Japanese Coast Guard Museum at Yokohama. Missions The mission of the JCG is to ensure security and safety at sea as below: Maritime law enforcement and national security Search and rescue and disaster response Hydrographic and oceanographic surveying Maritime traffic management Although the JCG is legally and technically a civilian organization as stipulated in Article 25 of the Coast Guard Law, the JCG has seen increased responsibility due to its quasi-autonomous status with wide latitude in its domestic and border security missions.