TOKYO: Japan will begin offering aid to the militaries of “like-minded countries”, as Tokyo embraces a more proactive defence strategy to address growing regional threats.
Four countries have been selected initially for the new programme. Malaysia, the Philippines, Bangladesh and Fiji would receive grant assistance, designed to “create a favourable security environment” for Japan, the government said on Wednesday.
The new framework will be separate from other types of aid offered by Japan, and will specifically target “enhancing the security and deterrence capabilities of like-minded countries”, the government said.
The move is part of a broader shift in Japan, which last year announced a major security overhaul including a pledge to raise defence spending to 2% of gross domestic product by 2027, while labelling China its “greatest strategic challenge ever”.
Still, Japan’s post-war constitution limits its military to ostensibly defensive measures and equipment, and the new framework says military support will be restricted to areas “not directly relating to any international conflict”.
The government said eligible countries would be those that share its values, such as the rule of law. The assistance would help them to improve their defence capabilities to deal with regional security threats, including China’s military buildup.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Japan was aiming to help deter unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, in an apparent warning to China about its maritime assertiveness in regional waters.
In addition to beefing up Japan’s defence capabilities, it is “essential” to enhance the deterrence capabilities of like-minded countries to “secure international peace and stability”, the top government spokesman told a press conference.
The new framework, called official security assistance (OSA), was created based on objectives set out in the National Security Strategy — a long-term policy guideline updated by the government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in December.
Under the OSA, Japan will support developing nations in areas not covered by its official development assistance (ODA), which is limited to non-military objectives.
The details of the assistance to the four countries are likely to be fixed in a few months, government officials told reporters, while not ruling out the possibility of aiding Ukraine, invaded by Russia since February 2022.
The programme targets maritime and aerial surveillance, disaster response and other forms of humanitarian assistance, as well as activities related to UN peacekeeping operations, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
Tokyo is set to offer support under the OSA within the limits of Japan’s three principles on transferring defence equipment and technology, which sets out strict conditions for arms exports.
Kishida’s government has earmarked 2 billion yen ($15 million) in its fiscal 2023 budget through March next year to finance the OSA.
In a related move, authorities are changing their approach to ODA in order to make use of its “most important diplomatic tool” in a “more strategic and effective” manner, according to a draft proposal circulated by the Foreign ministry.
The draft sets a target of doubling the ODA budget to 0.7% of gross national income, and refers to the necessity of ensuring debt sustainability for the first time.
The description comes amid concerns about alleged economic coercion and “debt-trap” diplomacy pursued by China, slammed by critics for using liabilities as leverage to gain concessions from borrowing countries.
