By Clint Richards
Japan extends economic and military incentives in hopes of rebalancing Southeast Asia.
Several defense and economic related news items involving Japan and Southeast Asia have emerged over the last few days, but chief among them was the announcement that the Defense Ministry is sending the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) transport ship Kunisaki to the South China Sea to participate in international response drills, according to Japan News. A senior military official categorized the deployment as training for humanitarian assistance, and said that it was not a military exercise.
The significance of the deployment is that the Kunisaki will be transporting around 140 Australian and U.S. personnel, who will be participating in search-and-rescue drills in the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam. TheJapan News article states this will be the first time a MSDF ship will participate in such a task while carrying up to 100 Australian and U.S. troops, and that the ship will participate in drills to “confirm the procedure of medical assistance in the event of a major disaster.” Providing logistical assistance to Japanese allies in scenarios that likely include a threat to Japanese interests is exactly the type of “grey zone issue” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants his Cabinet to clarify in the Constitution.
Read the full story at The Diplomat