JAKARTA: Japan will give Indonesia two high-speed patrol boats, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Saturday (Jan 11), as Tokyo seeks to boost regional maritime security cooperation in the face of growing assertiveness by China.
Ishiba made the pledge during a visit to Jakarta, where he held talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on a range of bilateral issues.
“We agreed on establishing working-level defence consultations on our maritime security, including on defence equipment technical cooperation,” Ishiba was quoted as saying in a joint statement.
“We also agreed to … provide high-speed patrol boats through Official Security Assistance, which would be our first with Indonesia.”
He said the two countries also agreed to cooperate in decarbonised energy sectors, such as geothermal power, hydrogen, ammonia, and biofuels.
Before arriving in Jakarta, Ishiba held talks in Kuala Lumpur with Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.
“For our foreign policy, strengthening cooperation with Southeast Asia is one of the biggest priorities,” Ishiba said.
The trip, he said, made him aware of the “explosive growth of the two countries” and reaffirmed his view that Japan and key ally the United States must further engage the Southeast Asian nations.
“Diplomatic engagement in this region is as extremely important to Japan as it is to the United States”, Ishiba said.
“I would like to share the understanding with… (incoming president) Trump that Japan and the US working together towards the peace and stability of this region will contribute significantly to the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region and the whole world.”
With US encouragement as it seeks to counter China, Japan has been deepening security ties in the region.
Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, which has angered neighbouring countries that dispute some boundaries they say cut into their exclusive economic zones.
Tokyo is already providing equipment and other assistance to the Philippines, which is engaged in territorial disputes with Beijing.
Last year the Philippines ratified a key defence pact with Japan, which allows them to deploy troops on each other’s soil.
The visit to Malaysia and Indonesia marks Ishiba’s first official state visit since taking office in October.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/japan-give-indonesia-high-speed-patrol-boats-security-deal-4851806
