The growing concerns about the Chinese threats have prompted Japan to increase its military spending, develop defense alliances, and provide aid to build a stronger, more united front among like-minded Asian nations as China strives for regional dominance. This heightened focus on security will be emphasized during Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit to Tokyo starting on Wednesday. The Philippines, a mutual ally of the United States, has been developing stronger defense ties with Japan in recent years.
According to Japan, the implementation of their new policy is necessary to address China’s assertiveness, however, opponents argue that it is merely a tactic to enforce Japan’s security perspective through large-scale aid distribution. The timing of Marcos’ trip is noteworthy, as it follows his recent agreement with the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to grant U.S. military access to additional four bases in the Southeast Asian country, aimed at deterring China’s influence.
The presence of additional U.S. troops at Philippine military bases will enable the U.S. government to monitor China’s aggressive actions in the disputed South China Sea and towards Taiwan, which Beijing considers as a part of its territory that must be brought under its control, even through violence if needed.
Japan intends to increase collaboration with the Philippines and the U.S. with a primary focus on a potential conflict involving Taiwan. Currently, a partnership among Tokyo, Seoul, and Washington is in place to address North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.
During Philippine President Marcos’s visit to Tokyo, the Japanese and Filipino defense officials are expected to sign a deal that will allow Japanese forces to provide additional training, as well as humanitarian and disaster relief, to the Philippines.
The U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, has declared a major reshuffling in the U.S.-Japan-Philippine defense ties, which he believes will have a major impact on the strategic alignment in the area and serve as a deterrent. In December, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida implemented important security and defense upgrades, such as the ability to counterstrike and an increase in defense spending. This move is aimed at countering China’s growing regional influence. Japan will use its development assistance to support weaker nations and improve their security capabilities.
Japan’s Foreign Minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, believes it is vital for the country to not only reinforce its defense power but also enhance the deterrence capability of other like-minded nations. In April 2023, the Foreign Ministry will receive $15.2 million to strengthen the security of these nations. However, the focus of Japan’s development work will shift towards maritime, economic, and national security. Japan is expected to pledge $4.5 billion in development aid to help speed up infrastructure, disaster prevention, and IT improvements.
The aid could include Japanese patrol boats to support the Philippine coast guard against China’s growing naval activity in the South China Sea. Japan has been actively supporting the coast guard in Southeast Asia in conflict with China and has already provided patrol boats to the Philippines and Vietnam. The United States is regarded as a crucial counterbalance to China’s militarization of islands in the South China Sea and has pledged to defend the Philippines if its forces come under attack.
The new Foreign Ministry budget is primarily for the militaries of Indo-Pacific developing nations and is likely to be used for non-lethal equipment such as radars, antennas, small patrol boats, or infrastructure improvements, rather than advanced weapons. Japan also wants to strengthen its arms industry and ease restrictions on weapons and technology transfers.
Masaki Inaba, co-chair of the Africa Japan Forum, says that military funding and traditional development aid are like two sides of the same coin. According to Inaba, funding will be used to gain more allies and will be focused on Japan’s own interests rather than the needs of the recipients. This shift could damage Japan’s reputation as a peaceful donor among developing nations in the “global south” and could also be viewed with suspicion by China and the Koreas. The Japanese government wants to increase its presence in the Asian market by providing Japanese-made equipment, such as Mitsubishi radars. However, experts warn that Japan needs to be careful not to put countries in Southeast Asia in a difficult position as they try to balance their relationships with both Japan and China. Some in Japan have raised concerns about the potential for inappropriate use of defense equipment provided directly to military forces of recipient countries.
(With inputs from AP)
❤️ Support Independent Journalism
Your contribution keeps our reporting free, fearless, and accessible to everyone.
Or make a one-time donation
Secure via Razorpay • 12 monthly payments • Cancel anytime before next cycle
(We don't allow anyone to copy content. For Copyright or Use of Content related questions, visit here.)
The Chenab Times News Desk
