Japan has selected the Philippines, Indonesia, Mongolia and Djibouti as the next recipients of its Official Security Assistance (OSA) scheme, according to reports, with analysts saying the move reflects Tokyo’s aim to align its security objectives with partner countries while countering China’s growing influence.
The recipient nations are likely to receive non-lethal military equipment such as radar to improve their maritime surveillance and communications capabilities, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Saturday.
Unveiled by the Japanese government in April last year, the OSA framework aims to address the growing security challenges faced by nations in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Philippines was already a beneficiary of OSA this financial year, along with Malaysia, Bangladesh and Fiji. Analysts point out that Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines have been embroiled in a dispute with China over the South China Sea, where Beijing has constructed military facilities in recent years to assert its claims.
By including Mongolia and Djibouti in this year’s assistance plan, analysts say Japan seeks to extend its geopolitical influence across more regions.
“Japan has a strong record of delivering overseas development help for poverty reduction efforts, so now this OSA is focused on the security sphere,” said James Brown, an international-relations professor at the Tokyo campus of Temple University.