Japan, Thailand ink defence agreement
Japan and Thailand have signed an agreement, enabling the mutual transfer of defence equipment and technology, deepening their bilateral security co-operation.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha also agreed during their summit to work closely in extending humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and its neighbours as the Russia-ukraine military conflict since February has sent over 5.5 million people fleeing the war-torn country.
To help Thailand recover from the COVID-19 pandemic fallout, Kishida announced that Japan will extend around 50 billion yen (US$385 million) in loans and 500 million yen in grant aid to strengthen the quarantine regime in the Southeast Asian nation, a hub of Japanese corporate activities in the region.
Japan has been deepening ties with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as it seeks to promote its vision of a "free and open" Indo-pacific region. During the summit, the two leaders agreed to continue coordination to realise that goal.
"The signing of our defence equipment and technology transfer agreement is a major step forward in expanding bilateral defence co-operation," Kishida said in a joint press appearance with Prayut. Japan and Thailand will decide on specific equipment for transfer from now, he added.
Prayut expressed hope that the just-signed pact will "help promote Japanese investment in the Thai defence industry", adding that the two leaders agreed on the need for bilateral relations to be elevated to "comprehensive strategic partners".
Japan already has such deals with other ASEAN members, including the Philippines, Việt Nam, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Thailand is the third Southeast Asian country after Indonesia and Việt Nam in Kishida's tour of the region as he seeks to coordinate efforts with his counterparts in responding to the crisis in Ukraine.
"Prime Minister Prayut and I agreed that we will never tolerate any infringement of sovereignty and territorial integrity in any region, any attempts to change the status quo by force, and we are opposed to the threat by or use of weapons of mass destruction," Kishida said.
Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, have been cautious about joining efforts led mainly by Group of Seven nations to isolate Russia
economically and diplomatically.
Thailand is the chair of the Asia-pacific Economic Co-operation forum this year, which Russia is also a member of, apparently contributing to Bangkok's neutral stance toward Moscow and its military operation in Ukraine.
Thailand last month abstained in a vote to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.
Kishida has stressed the need to keep communicating with other Asian nations that "cannot take the same action" as the G-7, including Japan and the United States. The G-7 has imposed a slew of sanctions to punish Moscow.