The Japanese Foreign Ministry plans to deliver security assistance worth $34.1 million to six like-minded nations, including Vietnam, in fiscal year 2024, according to the Asahi newspaper on August 28.
As a result, Japanese diplomats are contemplating adding Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Mongolia, and Djibouti to the list of nations receiving security aid in the fiscal year 2024. These are the nations that Japan regards as crucial geopolitical partners.
Japan is expected to offer security assistance to nations such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Fiji in fiscal year 2023. The initial government budget included more than 2 billion yen (about 13.6 million USD).
The security assistance in fiscal year 2024 was announced in the form of official security assistance (OSA), with the goal of assisting countries that share diplomatic and other goals with Japan in increasing their territorial surveillance and warning capabilities, as well as in areas such as counter-terrorism and piracy.
Defense equipment such as communications satellite systems, radar equipment, and patrol boats will be included, as well as other types of assistance such as port building for both civilian and military purposes.
According to the Asahi newspaper, Tsutomu Kikuchi, an international politics specialist and emeritus professor at Aoyama Gakuin University, claimed that a “power counterbalance” is required for Japan to coexist with China rather than antagonize it.
“Official Security Assistance (OSA) will be the impetus for China to exercise restraint, thereby leading to peace and security in the region,” Kikuchi added.
@asahi.com
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Source: Vietnam Insider