Japan To Strengthen Ties With South-Eastern Asia- PM

Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida has said on Wednesday that Japan will strengthen its support and cooperation with South-East Asian Nations in six areas including transportation infrastructure and maritime patrols.

He made the remarks in a speech to the ASEAN-Indo-Pacific Forum (AIPF) in Jakarta, which is hosting a summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this week.

The move comes as China asserts itself in the region’s disputed waters.

“We will develop a wide range of cooperation initiatives in the political, security, economic, cultural and social areas,” Kishida said.

Kishida said Japan will offer training for 5,000 people over the next three years in the six areas, which also include cooperation on cyberspace.

Japan will also help enhance maritime law enforcement capabilities by training personnel at coast guard agencies and maritime police, as well as providing patrol vessels, Kishida added.

Following the fall-out from the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Kishida also stated that Japan would strengthen supply chains with the region to secure a stable distribution of goods and food security.

REUTERS