The leaders of Japan and Thailand have announced a new defense agreement, as well as plans to upgrade their economic relations, as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wraps up the last leg of a three-nation tour of Southeast Asia.
The agreement would facilitate the transfer of defense hardware and technology from Japan to Thailand, which has one of the region’s biggest and best-equipped armies and a long history of ties with the United States military.
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said in a joint statement read alongside Kishida that the agreement “will help improve national defense and support investment from Japan in this activity which is an important goal for Thailand”.
Prayut also said he discussed improvements in supply chains and the drafting of a five-year economic partnership with Japan, Thailand’s biggest investor.
Southeast Asia has for decades been an important region for Japan, hosting some of its biggest names in industry, from infrastructure, engineering and industrial zones to the manufacturing of vehicles and electronics.
Noriyuki Shikata, Japan’s Cabinet Secretary for Public Affairs, earlier on Monday (2 May) told reporters that Tokyo would be extending a 50 billion yen (US$385 million) loan to support Thailand’s disease mitigation efforts. (NNT)
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