Japan sending military adviser to Malaysia, boosting regional presence in face of assertive China
Tokyo also sent recently military attachés to the Philippines and Vietnam, both of which have territorial disputes with Beijing
Japan is beefing up its military and diplomatic presence in Southeast Asia by sending an extra defence attaché to its embassy in Kuala Lumpur, adding to military officers sent to embassies in the Philippines and Vietnam last year.
A spokesman for the ministry confirmed the Malaysian appointment, funded in the 2018 budget, but declined to explain why Japan is stepping up military advisory and intelligence-gathering capabilities in Southeast Asia.
Media in Japan have reported that the military advisers have been tasked with deepening exchanges across the region, collecting and analysing intelligenceand promoting defence cooperation.
In its most recent white paper on security and defence spending, the ministry detailed a commitment to strengthening intelligence capabilities “in order that the MOD can promptly detect and swiftly respond to warnings of various situations in areas surrounding Japan and take measures based on medium-to-long-term military trends.”
The appointments are being seen as another move by Tokyo to counter Beijing’s military assertiveness. That concern is shared by some governments in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines and Vietnam, which have competing claims to atolls and islets in the South China Sea that have been occupied by China and developed into military installations.
Japan is also supporting regional allies with hardware including patrol boats and aircraft. Tokyo will provide the Philippines with three TC-90 training aircraft to help Manila improve its maritime monitoring in the face of Chinese encroachment into sea territories that are claimed by the Philippines.
