Japan to double security aid to 12 Indo-Pacific nations

Japan plans to provide defence equipment and other supplies to the armed forces of at least 12 like-minded countries under its Official Security Assistance programme this financial year, up from eight countries the previous year, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.The military of Kenya, which sits on the western Indian Ocean, is expected to be a first-time recipient under the programme, with the Japanese government seeking to strengthen maritime security cooperation, particularly in surveillance and monitoring, amid China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.Japan selects recipient countries each financial year. The government has allocated about 18.1 billion yen (US$114 million) for the security assistance programme in the year ending March 2027, more than double the roughly 8 billion yen set aside for the last financial year.Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia Atsushi Ueno (centre left) and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tea Seiha (centre right) attend a signing ceremony in Phnom Penh in July. Photo: Kyodo