Under new rules announced Wednesday, Japan will begin providing aid to militaries of “like-minded countries,” as Tokyo develops a more proactive defense policy to handle growing regional threats.
The new framework will be distinct from Japan’s other kinds of assistance and will specifically target “enhancing the security and deterrence capabilities of like-minded countries,” according to the government.
The move is part of a broader shift in Japan, which last year unveiled a major security overhaul including a pledge to raise defense spending to two percent of GDP by 2027, while labeling 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 has yet to identify potential recipients of the revised rules, but local media have speculated that the Philippines and Malaysia are among them.
According to the cabinet office, assistance could be directed toward areas such as tracking and surveillance in territorial seas and airspace, counter-terrorism, and counter-piracy.
According to the Kyodo news agency, the Japanese government has set aside two billion yen ($15 million) for foreign military assistance and defense expenditures until March 2024.
