Sat Jan 11 23:15:00 UTC 2025: ## Japan to Gift High-Speed Patrol Boats to Indonesia Amid China Tensions
**Bogor, Indonesia –** Japan will provide Indonesia with two high-speed patrol boats to bolster regional maritime security cooperation, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced Saturday during a visit to Jakarta. This initiative comes amid rising tensions with China over competing territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The announcement followed talks between Ishiba and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, covering a range of bilateral issues including defense equipment cooperation and decarbonized energy initiatives. The patrol boats represent Japan’s first Official Security Assistance to Indonesia.
Ishiba’s visit, which also included meetings with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur, highlights Japan’s increased engagement with Southeast Asian nations. He emphasized the importance of this diplomatic engagement for both Japan and the United States in countering China’s assertive actions in the region. Ishiba expressed his intention to collaborate with the incoming US president on maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
This move by Japan follows recent expressions of concern from Japanese officials regarding China’s growing military activity in the South China Sea and East China Sea, including around the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Islands). Japan is already providing security assistance to the Philippines, which is also locked in territorial disputes with China. Last year, a key defense pact between Japan and the Philippines allowed for the deployment of troops on each other’s soil. Ishiba’s visit to Malaysia and Indonesia marks his first official state visit since assuming office in October.
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