Indonesia and Japan pledge to strengthen security, economic ties as Yoshihide Suga continues Southeast Asia visit
- Japan’s new prime minister has pledged loans of US$474 million to Jakarta to help cushion the coronavirus pandemic’s economic impact
- Suga also agreed with President Widodo to step up discussions on arms exports and the resumption of travel between the countries
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Indonesia and Japan pledge to strengthen security and economic ties
The low-interest loans come in addition to the nearly 32 billion yen in loans Jakarta received from Tokyo in February. The Southeast Asian nation has seen the worst outbreak in the region, with more than 360,000 confirmed infections and more than 12,000 related deaths.
Suga is on a four-day visit to Southeast Asia that began in Hanoi on Sunday, during which he has sought to prove his diplomatic chops and promote the concept of a “free and open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP) in the face of China’s maritime assertiveness.
Japan’s new prime minister said he had agreed with Widodo to step up negotiations on a security pact, having reached an agreement in principle on a similar deal with Vietnam on Monday.
“Considering the situation in the region, we also agree to hold a two-plus-two meeting shortly and to speed up the discussion to export defence equipment and technology [to Indonesia] as well as to develop human resources, including law enforcement, in the sea,” Suga said.