Kishida Pledges 75-B.-Dollar Indo-Pacific Infrastructure Aid

Jiji Press

16:02 JST, March 21, 2023

NEW DELHI (Jiji Press) — Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday announced a plan for the Japanese public and private sectors to spend over $75 billion by 2030 to improve infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region.

The initiative is part of a new action plan to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific that Kishida unveiled during a speech at a gathering of the Indian Council of World Affairs, a think tank in New Delhi.

In his speech, Kishida said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “has been posing us the most fundamental challenge of maintaining peace.” The action plan will “lead the international community to cooperation rather than division and confrontation,” he said.

Kishida said the action plan has four pillars—principles for peace and rules for prosperity, an Indo-Pacific approach to addressing challenges, multilayered connectivity, and security that spreads from sea to sky.

Explaining the principles for peace and rules for prosperity, Kishida expressed his opposition to unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force and economic coercion, apparently referring to China.

On the Indo-Pacific approach to addressing challenges, Kishida called for promoting cooperation in wide areas including climate change, food security and global health.

Multilayered connectivity refers to efforts to connect countries and realize region-wide growth, Kishida said.

He cited Southeast Asian and South Asian countries, as well as Pacific island countries, as important areas and pledged to offer an additional $100 million to the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund.

In order to realize security that spreads from sea to sky, Kishida said his country will step up surveillance radar exports.

The prime minister also announced measures to help countries enhance maritime law enforcement capabilities and reinforce security.

Kishida said Japan will offer aid that meets the needs of recipients and that involves private-sector funds.

“India is an essential partner” in realizing the action plan, Kishida said, while also expressing his eagerness to deepen collaboration with the United States, European countries, Australia and South Korea.