Japan and ASEAN

In a move apparently to counter recent China successes in the Mekong Region, Japan has been stepping up it’s deals and increasing it’s incentives and aid packages.

At a summit meeting in Tokyo on Saturday July 4th, Japan pledged 750 billion yen or approximately $6.1 billion dollars in a new development aid package for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met with the leaders of the five countries along the Mekong River to adopt a new three-year development strategy to boost growth and connectivity in South-East Asia.

Abe said that the package would push infrastructure development aid in the Mekong in a distinct way from recent announcements from China. Japan wants to promote advanced Japanese technology, environment-friendly innovation and capacity-building schemes according to the delegates.

Japan’s move comes less than a week after the new China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank was officially established in Beijing. Japan, Canada and the US are conspicuous as they are not Founding Members of the AIIB.

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