The leaders of Japan and Indonesia yesterday agreed to bolster their ties in maritime security and their cooperation on climate change, energy and investment.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, at a joint news conference after holding talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Tokyo, said Japan would provide support to “further reinforce Indonesian maritime security capability to ensure peace and safety at sea in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Kishida also announced that Tokyo is loaning ¥43.6 billion (US$319 million) to fund Indonesian infrastructure projects and disaster prevention.
Photo: AFP
Widodo’s Japan visit follows his trip to China, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and formally invited him to the G20 summit in Bali in the fall. The two leaders on Tuesday also discussed issues ranging from trade to maritime cooperation.
While Indonesia and China enjoy generally positive ties, Jakarta has expressed concern about Chinese encroachment on its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety.
Widodo’s comments in Tokyo focused on investment, energy and the G20 summit. Widodo welcomed new Japanese investments and asked for Japan’s support in new technology involving clean energy, infrastructure, medicine, agriculture and natural resources.
“In particular, I invite Japan to support the acceleration of Indonesia’s net-zero emission target through advocating innovative technologies such as hydrogen and ammonia technology,” he said.
Japan is promoting mixing hydrogen and ammonia at coal-fired power plants as a way to lower emissions.
Kishida also said that Japan is researching whether it can provide Japanese patrol vessels for Indonesia to build its maritime capabilities.
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force is participating for the first time in the Garuda Shield multilateral training exercise hosted by Indonesia next month, Kishida said.
The Japan Self-Defence Forces would take part in the Garuda Shield joint military exercises to be held in Indonesia from Monday with the US, Australia and others, he said.
The annual exercises, typically between Indonesia and the US, would be “significantly larger in scope and scale” than in previous years, the US has said.
While Japan promotes a “free and open” Indo-Pacific vision of security and trade with the US and other democracies and friendly nations in the region that share concerns about China’s increasing assertiveness, the two leaders did not mention the country by name.
Widodo said Indonesia, as chair of ASEAN next year, and Japan, as chair of the G7 summit, would continue to cooperate for peace and prosperity in the region and the world.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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