TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said yesterday that his country’s government agencies and private companies are planning to invest US$75 billion (RM335.4 billion) in the Indo-Pacific region by 2030 amid China’s growing influence.
Japan will increase assistance for maritime and air security in the Indo-Pacific region, Kishida said at a lecture in India, which intended to outline the details of the plan to create a “free and open Indo-Pacific” that Japan has been actively promoting on various international platforms, reported Sputnik.
The prime minister also expressed his belief that the rule of law was most needed in “vulnerable countries” and urged him to pay extra attention to the diversity of the Indo-Pacific region. Kishida further proposed a slogan, “creating rules through dialogue”.
In terms of security, Japan is willing to provide like-minded countries in the region with radar warning and monitoring equipment and to cooperate on technology, including drones, the prime minister said.
Japan’s official development assistance, consisting of government aid to developing countries in the form of loans, grants, debt relief, and contributions, has been expanded, according to Kishida.
The aid’s basic principles will be reviewed to develop a vision for the next 10 years, he said.
In addition, the prime minister promised to convene an international conference on anti-fake measures by the end of the year and to allocate an additional US$100 million to the joint Japan-Asean Integration Fund. – Bernama, March 21, 2023
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