Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed Wednesday to beef up support to Southeast Asian countries in the fields of maritime safety and digitalization, announcing a human resources development plan for 5,000 people over the next three years.
The plan, announced ahead of his meeting in Jakarta with the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is part of a new Japanese initiative for the fast-growing region where China is increasing its clout.
"Our nation will grow with ASEAN members by promoting technical cooperation with them," Kishida said in a speech at the ASEAN-Indo-Pacific Forum when he unveiled the Japan-ASEAN comprehensive connectivity initiative.
Tokyo will also support efforts by each ASEAN member to digitalize infrastructure, enhance cybersecurity and strengthen supply chains for food and other products, Kishida added.
At the ASEAN-Japan summit, Kishida and his Southeast Asian counterparts are expected to pledge to work together for the success of a special summit scheduled for December in Tokyo to commemorate the 50th year of their friendship, Japanese government officials said.
Japan and ASEAN will also upgrade their relations to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" from the current strategic partnership during the gathering, the officials said, adding that a brief joint declaration will be issued.
The leaders are set to reaffirm their collaboration to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific in the face of China's expanding clout and assertive behavior in the region, the officials said.
The meeting comes as Japan and other major powers have been seeking to ramp up involvement with the 10-member regional bloc.
China upgraded relations with ASEAN to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2021, and the United States and India followed suit.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of substantial cooperative ties between Japan and ASEAN, which began in 1973 with the establishment of a forum on synthetic rubber.
Kishida is on a weeklong trip from Tuesday to Indonesia and India to attend ASEAN-related summits and a two-day gathering of leaders from the Group of 20 economies in New Delhi.
Amid recent sharp confrontation between Japan and China over the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, which began late last month, Kishida will explain the safety of the discharges, the officials added.
Among the other topics to be talked about are Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the situation in the East and South China seas where tensions are running high over Beijing's military assertiveness, according to the officials.
ASEAN consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
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