Japan pledges $6.1 billion aid to ‘Mekong Five’- bid for influence
Philippines expects to win UN South China Sea case
TOKYO: Japan yesterday pledged $6.1 billion in financial aid to the “Mekong Five” countries as it pushes infrastructure exports and courts influence in a region where rival China has an increasing presence. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe unveiled the pledge at a summit with his counterparts from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam-fast-growing economies through which the lower section of the Mekong river flows.
“Japan will implement support worth around 750 billion yen ($6.1 billion) in official development assistance for the next three years,” Abe told a news conference following the seventh annual Japan-Mekong summit. “The Mekong region, which has vast demand for infrastructure, is one of our most important areas,” Abe said. “Japan will contribute to infrastructure development of the region in both quality and quantity,” he added. “The Mekong region and Japan are partners that will develop together.”
It was not immediately clear if the pledge included previously-earmarked Japanese financial assistance, or whether it was made up entirely of newly-allocated funds. Abe has upped efforts to sell highways, train systems and power plants around the world, a key element in his bid to bolster the economy and Japan’s standing abroad. Beijing’s growing financial muscle, as well as its increasing willingness to throw its diplomatic weight around, have added urgency to Japan’s efforts to step up engagement in the battle for regional sway.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in November at a summit in Myanmar that Beijing’s strategic partnership with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grouping was entering a “diamond decade leading to broader and deeper cooperation”. Then in March, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China hoped to boost trade with ASEAN countries to $500 billion this year and $1 trillion in 2020. Beijing’s new Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has also upped the stakes, rivaling the Tokyo-backed Asian Development Bank and offering the kind of financial firepower rapidly-developing countries are keen to tap.
South China Sea case
Meanwhile, Philippines expects a United Nations tribunal to rule in its favor in an increasingly fraught dispute with China over territories in the South China Sea, a presidential spokeswoman said yesterday. Manila will argue its position against Beijing’s claim over most of the resource-rich sea at The Hague on July 7 to 13. China has refused to participate in the arbitration proceedings. The upcoming hearings will decide whether the tribunal has jurisdiction over the case.
“We prepared a strong case. We believe we stand on strong legal ground,” presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte told government radio. “We believe the tribunal will look at our case with favor. We are confident of the Philippine position on this matter.” Philippine foreign secretary Albert del Rosario will lead a government delegation to The Hague, assisted by US-based lawyers, foreign affairs spokesman Charles Jose said. If the Netherlands-based court decides it has jurisdiction, Jose said the Philippines would be asked to argue the merits of its case in another round of hearings. “We have prepared well enough for these oral arguments,” Jose told reporters.
The Philippines is among the most vocal critics of China’s South China Sea claims, which also overlap with those of Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. Beijing has reinforced its claim by building artificial islands on disputed reefs. Dwarfed by China in terms of economic and military might, the Philippines has turned to arbitration as it strengthened military alliances with the United States and Japan. The Philippine navy held separate naval drills with their American and Japanese counterparts last month. The flashpoint South China Sea hosts major sea lanes over vast mineral reserves.—Agencies