Seeking maritime dominance, Japan sets up new institution to woo Southeast Asia countries

Source
China Military Online
Editor
Chen Zhuo
Time
2019-02-19 17:13:30

By Wen Weiru


Heads of coast guard organizations from over 30 nations attend a family photo session during the Coast Guard Global Summit, jointly hosted by the Japan Coast Guard and Tokyo-based Nippon Foundation, in Tokyo on September 14, 2017.

Japanese media reported that the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) will officially set up a special program for cooperation with maritime security agencies of various countries this summer to further step up cooperation with Southeast Asian countries in maritime security. Japan unabashedly said that it will impart its “war experience” to these countries in the program. Japan also plans to invite heads of relevant national maritime security agencies to meetings, with a view to seeking dominance in the field of maritime security across the world.

The report said in order to counter pirates and protect the so-called sea lane of the Strait of Malacca, Japan has carried out joint training and talent exchange with Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam and the Philippines, and has provided patrol vessels since 2000. Currently, the Japanese government promises to provide 10 small patrol vessels and two large patrol vessels to the Philippines, two second-hand patrol vessels to Indonesia, seven patrol vessels to the Vietnam Coast Guard, as well as two second-hand large patrol vessels to Malaysia. Since 2004 the JCG has started staff exchange program for research and training, and launched small-scale joint training exercise with Southeast Asian countries. In 2015, Japan held its first Maritime Safety and Security Policy Program recruiting personnel of maritime security agencies from Southeast Asian countries in attempts to make Japan an international base for the training of security personnel.

In 2017, the JCG specially worked out the relevant budget and established an informal group of seven people headed by the Promotion Officer for International Cooperation in Maritime Security , expanding the training objectives to include most Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. The new commandant of the JCG Admiral Shuichi Iwanami, said when he took office at the end of July 2018 that Japan will further strengthen the strategic coordination between Japan and Southeast Asian countries in the field of maritime security. According to reports, the new institution which is composed of 24 personnel including the Promotion Officer for International Cooperation in Maritime Security and led by the newly appointed section manager in charge of international strategy, will be located in the General Affairs Department of the JCG headquarters.

Analysts pointed out that with the establishment of the new institution, the JCG has a formal institution in international coordination and foreign exchanges which Japan can exploit to achieve its triple purposes in the future.

First, to strengthen its regional presence with support. The Japanese side stressed that Southeast Asia serves as the main investment destination and major support provider for Japan. Japan has attached greater significance to its security cooperation with ASEAN countries both in governmental affairs and maritime security. Therefore, Japan has continuously upgraded its military presence in Southeast Asia and safeguarded its maritime interests with a high-profile posture of sending free equipment and technology to ASEAN countries.

Second, to woo its Southeast Asian partners. The Tokyo Shimbun once reported that countries including Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia also have to deal with issues such as the South China Sea, apart from accidents and disasters. Japan and Southeast Asian countries share similar situations and “a common position.” Japan highlighted the imparting of “war experience” while spreading the concept of protecting the order of the sea in accordance with laws and regulations to Southeast Asian countries, with a view to making these countries act in concert with Japan in terms of the South China Sea issue.

Third, to seek dominance by building a multilateral framework. One of the important tasks of the new institution is to set up a dialogue framework. In September 2017, Tokyo hosted the first Coast Guard Global Summit, with heads of coast guard agencies from 34 countries in attendance. The meeting was regarded as an important platform to build a multilateral framework for maritime security and expanding the Japanese marine concept. Japan is very active in sponsoring such conference, and it has been said that Japan is coordinating and preparing for a second meeting of its kind, starkly displaying its intention to seek dominance in maritime security.

(The article was published on Chinese military newspaper China National Defense on Feb. 18, 2019.)

 

 

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