Sea Zone: Friendly or Hostile

I had that discussion today too. You can move freely trough seazones containing other surface warships from nations you are neutral towards. I believe you can even end a turn in one. In the other powers turn he/she can decide to attack or not. Just like when you build new units in your blockaded port.

@oztea:

So according to the rules, if units belonging to a power you are not yet at war with occupy a sea zone it is still considered friendly?

So there is no point whatsoever of setting up cordons of units around a territory to protect it (EX: Hawaii) because japan can just pass through them at its leisure?

I read it as if you aren’t attacking (non combat move phase) you remain neutral and the seazone is essentially non contested international waters.  I suspect that rule errata will specify that movement during the combat phase through neutral waters (with neutral ships) is an act of war, and that surface warships ships WILL block that movement.  Thus you can prevent an amphibious assault with ships in the seazones surrounding SZ 26 (hawaii).  However, Japan can choose to steam through on noncombat and weight anchor off honolulu for a turn in preparation.

correct from my understanding, if making a Combat Move that will start war, at any point in your turn, you cannot ignore the then hostile ships.