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Japan woos ASEAN with $20 billion aid pledge
AFP-JIJI
NATIONAL
12/14/2013
Friend in need: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe holds a toast with Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (left) and other ASEAN leaders during a dinner for the Japan-ASEAN commemorative summit hosted by Abe and his wife at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on Friday. | AP
Japan pledged $20 billion in aid and loans to Southeast Asia on Saturday as it kicked off its latest charm offensive aimed at swaying public opinion regarding its territorial dispute with China.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offered the cash over five years for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at a celebratory summit to mark 40 years of ties with the bloc.
The announcement crowns a year of courtship by Abe, who has visited all 10 countries in the bloc at least once since he returned to power last year, always with one eye on wresting back influence in the region from China.
“Together with ASEAN, I want to build a future Asia where laws, rather than power, rule, and people who work hard will be rewarded — leading to a prosperous society with mutual respect.”
That apparently was an oblique reference to his country’s fractious spat with China and Taiwan over the sovereignty of a small chain of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea that Japan has long administered.
Japan is keen to garner support for its view that Beijing’s behavior is aggressive and coercive. The case has taken on greater urgency since China’s declaration last month of a new air defense identification zone over the sea that covers the contested isles, which are believed to be rich in fishing and gas resources.
Beijing said all aircraft entering the zone have to submit flight plans and obey orders issued by Chinese authorities, an announcement that was widely criticized as inflammatory.
That came after more than 12 months of confrontations between Japanese and Chinese ships near the islands, as well as forays by military and paramilitary planes and naval shows of strength.
Some fear the ADIZ is the forerunner to a similar zone in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely.
Abe said Saturday that the ¥2 trillion ($20 billion) in loans and grants is part of a bigger relationship.
“In this summit, I would like to discuss relations between Japan and ASEAN in the context of not only our bilateral relations, but also (in the context of) the international community.
“I hope we will adopt a mid- to long-term vision that will define the way Japan and ASEAN cooperate in the future.”
Japanese diplomats have pushed hard for the joint communique due at the end of the meeting to be a relatively forceful statement on the importance of freedom of navigation on the high seas and in the air.
Although unlikely to make any explicit reference to China, any such statement could be viewed as an implicit criticism.
Observers say Japan will find a reasonably willing audience among the four members of ASEAN who have their own territorial disputes with China — the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
But all ten members of the bloc, which also includes Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand, have to tread a fine line to avoid irritating China, whose vast economy is vital to the region.
That point was underlined by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ahead of his meeting with Abe on Friday, when he said disagreements in Northeast Asia are “pertinent” to the rest of the continent.
“In particular, it must be said that good relations between China and Japan are critical to the future of our region,” he said.
Abe’s charm offensive has also been aimed at drumming up business for Japan’s infrastructure-makers, with the prime minister keen to boost exports and give the domestic economy a kick after years of lassitude.
Japan woos ASEAN with $20 billion aid pledge | The Japan Times
Japan pledges $20bn to ASEAN in bid to dilute China's influence in the region
AFP
14 Dec 2013
Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe offers aid and loans over five years to Southeast Asian bloc against the backdrop of an ongoing territorial dispute with Beijing
Japan pledged $20 billion in aid and loans to southeast Asia on Saturday, in its latest charm offensive to woo global public opinion in a territorial dispute with China.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offered the cash over five years for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at a celebratory summit to mark 40 years of ties with the bloc.
The announcement crowns a year of courting by Abe, who has visited all 10 countries in the grouping at least once since he came to power last year, always with one eye on wresting back influence in the region from China.
"Together with ASEAN, I want to build the future of Asia where laws, rather than power, rule and people who worked hard will be rewarded – which would lead to a prosperous society with mutual respect."
That apparently was an oblique reference to his country's fractious spat over the sovereignty of a small chain of islands in the East China Sea, where Japan is keen to garner support for its view that Beijing's behaviour is aggressive and coercive.
The case has taken on a greater urgency since China's declaration last month of an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the East China Sea – including the contested archipelago.
Beijing said all aircraft entering the zone have to submit flight plans and obey orders issued by Chinese authorities, in an announcement that was widely criticised as inflammatory.
That came after more than 12 months of confrontations between Japanese and Chinese coastguards in the seas near the islands, as well as forays by military and paramilitary planes, and shows of strength by naval vessels.
Some fear the ADIZ in the East China Sea is a forerunner to a similar zone in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely.
Abe said on Saturday that the 2 trillion yen ($20 billion) in loans and grants is part of a bigger relationship.
"In this summit, I would like to discuss relations between Japan and ASEAN in the context of not only our bilateral relations, but also in the context of the international community.
"I hope we will adopt a mid- to long-term vision that would define the way Japan and ASEAN cooperate in the future."
Japanese diplomats have pushed hard for the joint communique due at the end of the meeting to be a relatively forceful statement on the importance of freedom of navigation on the seas and in the air.
Although unlikely to make any explicit reference to China, any such statement could be viewed as an implicit criticism.
Observers say Japan will find a reasonably willing audience among the four members of ASEAN who have their own territorial disputes with China – the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
But all ten members of the bloc, which also includes Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Burma, Singapore and Thailand, have to tread a fine line to avoid irritating China, whose vast economy is vital to the region.
That point was underlined by Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ahead of his meeting with Abe on Friday, when he said disagreements in Northeast Asia are "pertinent" for the rest of the continent.
"In particular, it must be said that good relations between China and Japan are critical to the future of our region," he said.
Abe's charm offensive has also been aimed at drumming up business for Japan's infrastructure-makers, with the prime minister keen to boost exports and help give the domestic economy a kick after years of lassitude.
Edited by Steve Wilson
AFP-JIJI
NATIONAL
12/14/2013
Friend in need: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe holds a toast with Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (left) and other ASEAN leaders during a dinner for the Japan-ASEAN commemorative summit hosted by Abe and his wife at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on Friday. | AP
Japan pledged $20 billion in aid and loans to Southeast Asia on Saturday as it kicked off its latest charm offensive aimed at swaying public opinion regarding its territorial dispute with China.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offered the cash over five years for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at a celebratory summit to mark 40 years of ties with the bloc.
The announcement crowns a year of courtship by Abe, who has visited all 10 countries in the bloc at least once since he returned to power last year, always with one eye on wresting back influence in the region from China.
“Together with ASEAN, I want to build a future Asia where laws, rather than power, rule, and people who work hard will be rewarded — leading to a prosperous society with mutual respect.”
That apparently was an oblique reference to his country’s fractious spat with China and Taiwan over the sovereignty of a small chain of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea that Japan has long administered.
Japan is keen to garner support for its view that Beijing’s behavior is aggressive and coercive. The case has taken on greater urgency since China’s declaration last month of a new air defense identification zone over the sea that covers the contested isles, which are believed to be rich in fishing and gas resources.
Beijing said all aircraft entering the zone have to submit flight plans and obey orders issued by Chinese authorities, an announcement that was widely criticized as inflammatory.
That came after more than 12 months of confrontations between Japanese and Chinese ships near the islands, as well as forays by military and paramilitary planes and naval shows of strength.
Some fear the ADIZ is the forerunner to a similar zone in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely.
Abe said Saturday that the ¥2 trillion ($20 billion) in loans and grants is part of a bigger relationship.
“In this summit, I would like to discuss relations between Japan and ASEAN in the context of not only our bilateral relations, but also (in the context of) the international community.
“I hope we will adopt a mid- to long-term vision that will define the way Japan and ASEAN cooperate in the future.”
Japanese diplomats have pushed hard for the joint communique due at the end of the meeting to be a relatively forceful statement on the importance of freedom of navigation on the high seas and in the air.
Although unlikely to make any explicit reference to China, any such statement could be viewed as an implicit criticism.
Observers say Japan will find a reasonably willing audience among the four members of ASEAN who have their own territorial disputes with China — the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
But all ten members of the bloc, which also includes Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand, have to tread a fine line to avoid irritating China, whose vast economy is vital to the region.
That point was underlined by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ahead of his meeting with Abe on Friday, when he said disagreements in Northeast Asia are “pertinent” to the rest of the continent.
“In particular, it must be said that good relations between China and Japan are critical to the future of our region,” he said.
Abe’s charm offensive has also been aimed at drumming up business for Japan’s infrastructure-makers, with the prime minister keen to boost exports and give the domestic economy a kick after years of lassitude.
Japan woos ASEAN with $20 billion aid pledge | The Japan Times
Japan pledges $20bn to ASEAN in bid to dilute China's influence in the region
AFP
14 Dec 2013
Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe offers aid and loans over five years to Southeast Asian bloc against the backdrop of an ongoing territorial dispute with Beijing
Japan pledged $20 billion in aid and loans to southeast Asia on Saturday, in its latest charm offensive to woo global public opinion in a territorial dispute with China.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offered the cash over five years for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at a celebratory summit to mark 40 years of ties with the bloc.
The announcement crowns a year of courting by Abe, who has visited all 10 countries in the grouping at least once since he came to power last year, always with one eye on wresting back influence in the region from China.
"Together with ASEAN, I want to build the future of Asia where laws, rather than power, rule and people who worked hard will be rewarded – which would lead to a prosperous society with mutual respect."
That apparently was an oblique reference to his country's fractious spat over the sovereignty of a small chain of islands in the East China Sea, where Japan is keen to garner support for its view that Beijing's behaviour is aggressive and coercive.
The case has taken on a greater urgency since China's declaration last month of an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the East China Sea – including the contested archipelago.
Beijing said all aircraft entering the zone have to submit flight plans and obey orders issued by Chinese authorities, in an announcement that was widely criticised as inflammatory.
That came after more than 12 months of confrontations between Japanese and Chinese coastguards in the seas near the islands, as well as forays by military and paramilitary planes, and shows of strength by naval vessels.
Some fear the ADIZ in the East China Sea is a forerunner to a similar zone in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely.
Abe said on Saturday that the 2 trillion yen ($20 billion) in loans and grants is part of a bigger relationship.
"In this summit, I would like to discuss relations between Japan and ASEAN in the context of not only our bilateral relations, but also in the context of the international community.
"I hope we will adopt a mid- to long-term vision that would define the way Japan and ASEAN cooperate in the future."
Japanese diplomats have pushed hard for the joint communique due at the end of the meeting to be a relatively forceful statement on the importance of freedom of navigation on the seas and in the air.
Although unlikely to make any explicit reference to China, any such statement could be viewed as an implicit criticism.
Observers say Japan will find a reasonably willing audience among the four members of ASEAN who have their own territorial disputes with China – the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
But all ten members of the bloc, which also includes Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Burma, Singapore and Thailand, have to tread a fine line to avoid irritating China, whose vast economy is vital to the region.
That point was underlined by Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ahead of his meeting with Abe on Friday, when he said disagreements in Northeast Asia are "pertinent" for the rest of the continent.
"In particular, it must be said that good relations between China and Japan are critical to the future of our region," he said.
Abe's charm offensive has also been aimed at drumming up business for Japan's infrastructure-makers, with the prime minister keen to boost exports and help give the domestic economy a kick after years of lassitude.
Edited by Steve Wilson
Last edited:
