By Ankit Panda
Japan’s new Development Cooperation Charter will allow for non-combat military aid and prioritize Southeast Asia.
The Japanese government’s new Development Cooperation Charter will let Japan send aid to foreign militaries for non-combat use under its Official Development Assistance (ODA). The move will increase the tools available for Japan to build close military partnerships with countries around the Asia-Pacific region amid cool ties with China due to a territorial dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. The Japanese government has been interested in revising and updating the charter since at least last April as part of a broader adjustment of Japan’s defense posture under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Liberal Democratic Party.
Based on a copy of the Development Cooperation Charter, Bloomberg News reports that the new charter will focus only on aid for non-combat purposes. According to that report, the charter will update a 2003 document that had a considerably narrower scope, noting that “aid for military purposes, or which aggravates international conflicts, should be avoided.” The charter notes that recipients of Japanese aid must “share universal values,” including respect for the rule of law and basic human rights.
Read the full story at The Diplomat