Procurement News Notice |
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| PNN | 7146 |
| Work Detail | Japan is to supply patrol boats and aircraft to the Philippines in the latest step by international powers to counter Chinese expansion in Asia's seas. Shinzo Abe, Japan's prime minister, and Rodrigo Duterte, Philippines president, struck a deal this week for Tokyo to provide two large patrol vessels and loan up to five used TC-90 unarmed surveillance planes. The agreement marks another step in attempts by Japan and other powers to check China's growing maritime ambitions by creating a chain of regional allies committed to the status quo and the "rule of law" at sea. China claims almost all of the South China Sea and has been building artificial islands on reefs and atolls. Its claims overlap with those of Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as Taiwan and Brunei. The Tokyo-Manila deal, struck on the sidelines of a summit of Southeast Asian leaders in Vientiane, Laos, covers two new vessels in the 90-metre class - similar to the largest ships in Japan's own coastguard fleet. They follow 10 smaller vessels, the first of which Japan delivered in August. Coastguard vessels are often on the front line of territorial disputes in Asia, entering contested waters where a naval ship would be too provocative. There has been a trend towards ever bigger coastguard vessels that can intimidate rivals with their sheer size. The US in May lifted its 50-year-old arms embargo against Vietnam and Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, visited Hanoi at the weekend amid plans for a missile sale and a deal to base Indian ships in Vietnam and set up a satellite tracking and imaging station there. India also recently agreed a $US100m contract to supply fast patrol boats to Hanoi. A Hague tribunal rejected Beijing's expansive maritime claims in July, ruling that they had "no legal basis". But several of the countries affected have struggled to respond to China's moves, lacking the air or sea capabilities even to patrol disputed waters. Japan's deal with Manila came as a spat between the Philippines and the US dominated the first day of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit. Washington scrapped a planned meeting between Barack Obama and Mr Duterte after the latter made insulting remarks about the US president. |
| Country | Japan , Eastern Asia |
| Industry | Defence |
| Entry Date | 15 Oct 2016 |
| Source | http://www.afr.com/news/world/japan-to-supply-boats-and-planes-for-philippines-sea-defence-20160907-gratsa |
