On March 30, Japan and Indonesia signed an agreement. Japan will export military equipment to Indonesia under an agreement called the Defense Equipment and Technology Transfer Agreement. The agreement was signed during a “two-plus-two” meeting between the two countries’ foreign and defense ministers in Tokyo. Japan’s Kyodo News says Japan is concerned about China’s influence in regional geopolitics behind the deal. At a joint news conference, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the two countries had discussed strengthening China’s position in the South and East China Seas. According to a law passed by the Chinese government in February, the Chinese Coast Guard will be able to shoot down ships of other countries in the waters claimed by China. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said the law does not allow the Chinese to infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of other countries. Prior to the agreement with Indonesia, Japan had already signed defense agreements with Australia, Britain, France, Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia, the Philippines and the United States. Motegi said the agreement laid a solid foundation for advancing Japan’s security relations with Indonesia; And at the same time, it will be a symbol of joint efforts by the two countries to address regional threats. He added that the Japanese government was providing ৫ 453 million to deal with natural disasters in Indonesia. On the other hand, Indonesian Defense Minister Pravovo Subianto said that his country was inviting Japan to be a partner in the development of Indonesia’s defense industry. Discussions have now begun on how Japan’s defense deal with Indonesia could affect regional geopolitics.
An analysis by the defense magazine IHS Genes suggests that Japan may be able to export Mogami-class frigates to the Indonesian navy, which it is currently building for its own navy. The two countries have been discussing the transfer of military technology for several years. The agreement was signed in late 2020 as a result of an agreement. At that time, Indonesian officials met with the Japanese shipbuilding company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The Indonesian Navy shortlisted four designs for their frigate purchase project; Among them were the designs of Holland’s Damen, Italy’s Fincantieri, Japan’s Mitsui and Britain’s Babcock.
In August last year, Japan agreed to sell four state-of-the-art air defense radars to the Philippines for 103 million. According to a report in the New York Times, in April 2014, the Japanese parliament legalized arms exports by amending Article 3 of 118 of the Defense Act. Accordingly, the Japanese government provided 5 TC90 surveillance aircraft as a grant to assist the Philippine surveillance in the South China Sea. An article in Forbes magazine said the radars sold to the Philippines would be used primarily to monitor Chinese military activity in the South China Sea, where the Chinese have developed several artificial islands and set up military bases. Japan wants to monitor the movement of Chinese ships in the Bashi Channel, which runs between Taiwan and the Philippines. In that case, they want to work with the Philippines. Earlier, Japan sold a 10:44-meter-long patrol boat to the Philippine Coast Guard for ৯ 191 million. Japan is currently building a 2.90-meter offshore patrol vessel for 132 million. In July, Japan signed an agreement with Vietnam to export 8,79-meter-long offshore patrol vessels for 400 million. In each case, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is financing the project. And the main task of all ships will be to control China’s influence in the South China Sea. Forbes reports that Japan’s military equipment has been scarce due to its inability to export. Japan can now try to reduce costs by exporting equipment for a variety of aircraft, air defense systems, patrol boats, etc .; So that they can sell arms at a more competitive price to implement their foreign policy.
Japan’s foreign policy is based on the anti-war constitution drafted by the United States after World War II. However, in recent times, due to the strong position of the Conservatives, Japan is deploying military forces around the world through legal changes and exporting weapons abroad. The aggressive stance of China and North Korea has given Japan a legitimacy to increase its military might. But Japan’s foreign policy is still in Washington’s favor as it is in line with US Indo-Pacific policy. Although the East Asian countries have not forgotten the history of Japan’s aggression during the Second World War, only the Chinese are talking about Japan’s new foreign policy. East Asian countries are joining hands with Japan to control China’s influence. Although Japan’s military industry is quite advanced, it is still not technologically independent of the United States. Sea routes in the South China Sea and the East China Sea are important not only for China, but also for Japan and Korea. However, Japan has no political goal in controlling them, which is in conflict with US policy. Japan’s financial assistance is playing an important role in defense exports. Although the country is leading the way in influencing by capitalizing on its huge economy, they are still childish in terms of political influence. As part of the US-controlled world order, both China and Japan are concerned about the safety of their seas; Which is helping the United States retain military power in Asia. The United States is increasing its dependence on its Asian allies to control China as part of the ‘Great Power’ competition in a changed world order; Which is inspiring the militarization of Japan.
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