Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida and Thai prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha have signed a new defense agreement increasing the transfer of defense hardware and technology between the two nations and upgrading their economic relations. Tokyo has agreed to loan Thailand 50 billion yen ($385 million) and will extend the country an additional 500 million-yen grant to aid Thailand in its COVID mitigation efforts. This agreement marks a step towards bi-lateral security co-operation amidst growing Chinese expansionist foreign policy actions in Southeast Asia. Prior to visiting Thailand, Kishida also carried out similar talks in Vietnam and Indonesia.

“This [agreement] will help improve national defense and support investment from Japan in this activity which is an important goal for Thailand,” the Thai PM told Reuters in an interview.

In addition to outlining future joint-defense plans, Japanese and Thai leaders also conveyed shared opinions on nations which currently hold aggressive foreign policies, specifically China and Russia. In an interview given to the Japan Times, Kishida stated, “Prime Minister Prayut and I agreed that we will never tolerate any infringement of sovereignty and territorial integrity in any region, any attempts to change the status quo by force, and we are opposed to the threat by or use of weapons of mass destruction.”

While this defense arrangement is a notable step in the bi-lateral relationship between Japan and Thailand, it is imperative to recognize its geo-political significance in more general terms. For instance, China’s growing military assertiveness in the South China Sea (S.C.S.) acts as a prime example of its growing regional dominance. Because China has a strategic and tactical advantage over the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (A.S.E.A.N.), countries in Asia’s southeast have had difficulties combatting China in the S.C.S. Similarly, China’s rapidly increasing influence in the Indo-Pacific is arguably Japan’s most prevalent threat. The two countries are entangled in a constant competition for regional power; China’s expansionist behaviors in the South China Sea threaten Japan’s sea lanes of communication, which are vital given Japan’s reliance on natural resource imports. Thus, Japan’s policy advances with respect to Thailand exemplify its growing alliance with A.S.E.A.N. These countries with “one vision, one identity, and one community” rely on joint co-operative efforts in order to stabilize the regional balance of power in a peaceful manner.

Japan and Thailand have moved forward with their alliance in the name of mutual benefit and with careful consideration of their nations’ histories. For example, after its defeat in World War II, Japan’s foreign policy became extremely pacifist and its security since then has largely depended on the U.S. Now, Japan’s military is solely defensive. Thus, given the fact that Thailand has one of the most advanced militaries in Asia, strategic co-ordination with Thailand improves Japan’s own national security. Japan also relies on partnerships with Southeast Asian countries, namely Thailand, to boost its infrastructure, engineering, and manufacturing of technology. Thailand, on the other hand, will benefit from Japanese economic investments since the country has struggled financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Given that Southeast Asia is likely to continue to be a contentious region in the near future, it is vital that these countries continue to engage in diplomacy in order to maintain a positive political environment. The recent agreement between Thailand and Japan sets a precedent for friendly, strategic coordination. However, it is important that all A.S.E.A.N. members, as well as Japan, prioritize economic and political co-operation over militarization to combat China’s rising power. Regardless, the peace – or lack thereof – that will prevail in the region in the coming years will be largely dependent on the U.S.-China rivalry.