Japan has pledged Y750bn ($6.1bn) in aid to the “Mekong five” nations over the next three years as Tokyo seeks fresh influence in a region it regards as crucial to domestic economic growth and regional strategic balance.
The move at this weekend’s Japan-Mekong summit delivers a sharp rise on the Y600bn in aid Japan gave to Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos — the five states along the lower Mekong river — in the past three years.
Coming at a time when Tokyo is strapped for cash after years of economic stagnation and population ageing, it highlights Japan’s determination to check rising Chinese influence, and push its preference for a status quo Asia governed by international law.
In a press conference after his summit with the five Mekong heads of state, Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister, said concerns were raised about the situation in the South China Sea, a reference to China’s “island building”.
“Both sides noted concerns expressed over the recent development in the South China Sea, which will further complicate the situation and erode trust and confidence and may undermine regional peace, security and stability,” said the official communique.
The Tokyo meeting followed a high-profile trip this year by a senior Japanese foreign ministry official to Cambodia and Laos, two countries central to China’s plans to boost trade ahead of the launch of a single market by the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations later this year.
Beijing has invested heavily in infrastructure in the Mekong region and has cast its relationship with Asean’s market of more than half a billion people as the start of a “diamond decade”, with the aim of boosting trade both ways from $444bn in 2013 to $1tn in 2020.
日本許諾將來3年將向“湄公河五國”供給7500億日元(合61億美元)的支援。日本當局以為這個地域對海內經濟增加和地區計謀均衡相當主要，追求在該地域擴展本身的影響力。
日本在周末舉辦的“日本與湄公河道域國度峰會”上宣告的最新支援範圍跨越日本曩昔3年對該地域的支援(6000億日元)。“湄公河五國”指處於湄公河下流的柬埔寨、泰國、越南、緬甸和老撾。
在閱歷多年的經濟停止和生齒老齡化後，日本正面對資金重要。在這類情形下增長對湄公河五國的支援，註解日本刻意停止中國賡續上升的影響力，同時推進保持其偏好的亞洲受國際法範例的近況。
在與“湄公河五國”當局領袖見面後舉辦的消息宣布會上，日本輔弼安倍晉三(Shinzo Abe)表現，南中國海(South China Sea，中國稱中國南海)的情勢使人關心，這裏指的是中國的“造島”行為。
官方的集會公報稱：“兩邊都對南中國海比來的局勢成長表現關心，這將進一步令局面龐雜化，並腐蝕信賴和信念，並且大概會損壞地域寧靜、平安和穩固。”
在這次峰會在東京召開以前，日本外務省一高等官員本年曾拜訪柬埔寨和老撾，引發高度存眷。在中國追求在東盟(Asean)本年晚些時刻樹立單一市場以前擴展商業的籌劃中，這兩個國度位於焦點地位。
中國當局在湄公河地域的基本舉措措施範疇投入了大批資金，並將中國與東盟市場的幹系稱為“鉆石10年”的開端，目的是將雙邊商業額從2013年的4440億美元擴展到2020年的1萬億美元。東盟地域具有逾5億生齒。
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