Japan, Indonesia agree to boost naval security ties, with an eye on China

Fumio Kishida said Japan will provide support to ‘further reinforce Indonesian maritime security’ and announced US$318 million in infrastructure funds
Indonesian PM Joko Widodo’s visit to Tokyo on Wednesday came a day after he was in Beijing meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping

Japan

Associated Pressin Tokyo

Published: 4:01pm, 27 Jul 2022

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The leaders of Japan and Indonesia agreed on Wednesday to bolster their ties in maritime security and their cooperation on climate change, energy and investment between the Asian archipelago nations.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, at a joint news conference after holding talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Tokyo, said Japan will provide support to “further reinforce Indonesian maritime security capability to ensure peace and safety at sea in the Indo-Pacific region”.

Kishida also announced that Tokyo is loaning 43.6 billion yen (US$318 million) to fund Indonesian infrastructure projects and disaster prevention.

A Chinese coastguard ship is seen from an Indonesian naval vessel patrolling Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone in 2020. Photo: Antara Foto/M Risyal Hidayat via Reuters

Widodo’s Japan visit follows his trip to China, where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping and formally invited him to the Group of 20 summit in Bali in the autumn. The two leaders on Tuesday also discussed issues ranging from trade to maritime cooperation.

While Indonesia and China enjoy generally positive ties, Jakarta has expressed concern about Chinese encroachment on its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety.

Widodo’s comments in Tokyo focused on investment, energy and the G20 summit. Widodo welcomed new Japanese investments and asked for Japan’s support in new technology involving clean energy, infrastructure, medicine, agriculture and natural resources.

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“In particular, I invite Japan to support the acceleration of Indonesia’s net-zero emission target through advocating innovative technologies such as hydrogen and ammonia technology,” he said.

Japan is promoting mixing hydrogen and ammonia at coal-fired power plants as a way to lower emissions.

Also, Kishida said Japan was researching whether it can provide Japanese patrol vessels for Indonesia to build its maritime capabilities.

Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Force is taking part for the first time in the Garuda Shield multilateral training exercise hosted by Indonesia next month, Kishida said. The US is also joining the exercise.

While Japan promotes a “free and open” Indo-Pacific vision of security and trade with the United States and other democracies and friendly nations in the region that share concern about China’s increasing assertiveness, the two leaders did not mention the country by name.

Widodo said Indonesia, as the chair of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations next year and Japan as the chair of the Group of 7 summit, will continue to cooperate for the peace and prosperity in the region and the world.