Japan yesterday said it plans to offer friendly nations financial assistance to help them bolster their defenses, marking Tokyo’s first unambiguous departure from rules that forbid using international aid for military purposes.
Japan’s Overseas Security Assistance (OSA) would be operated separately from the Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) program that for decades has funded roads, dams and other civilian infrastructure projects, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a regular news conference.
“By enhancing their security and deterrence capabilities, OSA aims to deepen our security cooperation with the countries, to create a desirable security environment for Japan,” a statement released by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The aid would not be used to buy lethal weapons that recipient countries could use in conflicts with other nations in accordance with the three principles that govern arms exports, the statement said.
Specific projects are expected to include satellite communication and radio systems for maritime surveillance, and preparations are under way for the first aid to be finalized within this fiscal year, the ministry said.
The Philippines and Bangladesh are likely to be included as the first recipients of the aid, a government source involved in talks said.
Japan is considering providing radars to the Philippines to help it monitor Chinese activity in the contested South China Sea, and weighing Fiji and Malaysia as potential recipients of the aid, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Monday.
In principle, only developing countries would be eligible for the aid given that it would be provided as grants, the ministry said.
The move to expand the scope of international aid to military-related projects follows Japan’s announcement in December last year of a military buildup that would double defense spending within five years as it looks to counter China’s growing military might in Asia.
Following on from the overhaul of its military strategy, there is growing momentum over the easing of Japan’s arms export ban.
In line with similar suggestions made in the new strategy, the ruling coalition is looking to start working-level discussions late this month over loosening arms export restrictions, broadcaster TBS said.
Japan has also been ramping up its outreach to developing nations in an effort to counter China. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last month announced a US$75 billion investment across the Indo-Pacific region as he seeks to forge stronger ties with countries in South and Southeast Asia.
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