Japan to provide defense equipment to Thailand, 7 other nations
“Japan plans to supply defense equipment to Thailand, Tonga and six other nations in the current fiscal year as security aid, a government source said Friday, in bid to ensure safe sea lanes in the Indo-Pacific region where China is evolving its military posture.”
“The eight countries – also including East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Sri Lanka – are expected to be designated as the recipients of Japan’s ‘official security assistance’ framework, designed for like-minded partners, for fiscal 2025 from April, the source said.”
“In the past two fiscal years through 2024, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia and the Philippines were recipients of the assistance program.”