Kishida pledges more security role in Asia

Bloomberg

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed his country would expand its security role in Asia, and seek to bolster the rules-based order in a speech at an international security forum in Singapore.
In the first keynote presentation by a Japanese premier at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in eight years, Kishida said he would lay out a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Plan for Peace” by spring.
This would involve providing equipment, including patrol vessels, and training for maritime security personnel in at least 20 countries, he said. Japan would allocate a budget of at least $2 billion for such purposes over the next three years, he added.
Spooked by the Ukraine war and its implications for Asia, Japan is not only planning to raise its defense budget, but increasingly seeking closer security ties around the world, beyond its alliance with the US.
“I myself have a strong sense of urgency that Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow,” Kishida said, repeating a line he has used previously.
The Japanese premier also reinforced his calls for the elimination of atomic arms. “With the use of nuclear weapons now becoming a real possibility, reminding the world once again about the scourge and inhumanity of the use of nuclear weapons is vital,” he said.
The premier has surprised many with his tough response to Russia’s attack and frequent veiled warnings about the risk of a similar grab for territory by China. Kishida reiterated his view that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait “is also of extreme importance,” but mentioned China by name only once during his speech.
In recent months, he has been corralling sometimes reluctant neighbors in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to stand beside the West on issues like sovereignty and the rule
of law.