Japan will provide military assistance to like-minded countries to counter China

Japan has unveiled a plan to provide military aid to like-minded countries, especially in Asia, as it looks to increase its influence in the Indo-Pacific region to counter China’s aggressive stance on Taiwan and South China Sea issues. is paying attention Tokyo announced guidelines earlier this month, including a new program to strengthen the military of like-minded countries by providing official security assistance, The Japan Times reported.

This move by Japan breaks with its earlier policy of not providing development assistance for military purposes except for disaster relief. The country’s foreign ministry officials said the Philippines would be one of the first beneficiaries of foreign security assistance, the report said. Also, the names of Malaysia, Bangladesh and Fiji are also being considered. Japan is a member of the ‘Quad’, a group of four countries. Its three other members are America, India and Australia. Japan is actively pursuing the Indo-Pacific strategy.

The South China Morning Post, published from Hong Kong, said in a report on Thursday that Tokyo’s decision to use international aid for military purposes will not start an arms race in Asia. It said the move will not only strengthen the defense capabilities of Asian nations amid the changing security landscape, but also make Japan’s defense sector more competitive. Japan’s new policy of providing defense assistance to neighboring countries has been announced after Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi’s visit to China earlier this month.

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