Japan, Malaysia sign $2.8m maritime security deal

As Asian nations attempt to offset an increasingly aggressive China, Japan and Malaysia signed a security assistance agreement that included a donation of 400 million yen ($2.8 million) to strengthen Malaysia’s marine security.

Under the terms of the formal security aid agreement, Japan will deliver equipment such as rescue boats and supplies. The agreement was signed on the margins of a Tokyo conference commemorating Japan’s 50-year relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Kishida, Japan’s Prime Minister, hailed the elevation of the Japan-Malaysia relationship to a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” according to a statement from Japan’s foreign ministry.

In addition to Malaysia, ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei claim parts of the South China Sea disputed by China, which claims almost all of the waterway that is a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China’s claims had no legal basis.

Report says China and Japan last week accused each other of maritime incursions after a confrontation between their coast guards in waters around islands they both claim in the East China Sea.

Furthermore, Japan’s help to Malaysia follows similar agreements with the Philippines and Bangladesh this year, and is part of a plan outlined in April for Japan to provide financial assistance to developing countries to strengthen their defenses.

According to a foreign ministry official, Japan is offering ASEAN members support to strengthen their stature as international actors and help them manage their interactions with others, particularly China, during the three-day summit that runs through Sunday.

Kishida will meet separately with the leaders of all ASEAN members, including Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, and Timor-Leste.