A commemorative summit to mark the 50th anniversary of Japan-ASEAN friendship and three days of related meetings through Monday in Tokyo show Japan's emphasis on promoting security ties with Southeast Asian nations on a bilateral basis in the wake of China's rise, experts well-versed in the region said.
Leaders of Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are expected to agree on expanding their relations in the economic and security fields at a summit to commemorate 50 years of their friendship and cooperation.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agrees with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim to supply rescue boats to the Southeast Asian nation's military, with China's growing maritime assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific in focus.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledges to cooperate with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to improve their respective economies by boosting investment in the fast-growing bloc and promoting people-to-people exchanges.