Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong (L) and his Japanese counterpart Masahiko KomuraTOKYO (AFP) — Japan was to hold its first joint talks with foreign ministers of Mekong River nations on Wednesday as it seeks to counter China's increasing influence in the region.
The one-day meeting will include Myanmar, which has faced heavy international criticism since its deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protests in September.
Japan is expected to offer a new aid package to improve infrastructure including highways in the Mekong countries -- Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Japan, which has uneasy ties with China and South Korea due to wartime history, has long seen Southeast Asia as a key region of influence by lavishing development aid and trade deals.
But more recently "the presence of China -- and also South Korea -- in this region is very big," said a Japanese official who handles Southeast Asian matters.
"China has borders with all these countries except for Cambodia, and excluding Thailand, the trade volumes with China are bigger than the trade volumes with Japan for these countries," he said on condition of anonymity.
The ministers will hold individual meetings with Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura and pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
"Cooperative relations between Japan and Vietnam have recently advanced rapidly. I hope the bilateral relationship contributes to cooperation in the whole Mekong region," Komura told Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem at the start of their bilateral meeting.
Khiem replied: "Vietnam will do our utmost for the success of the Mekong foreign ministerial meeting."
Complicating the meeting is the issue of Myanmar, which counts on China as its main ally.
Japan has refused Western calls to end aid to Myanmar and this week pledged 1.79 million dollars to improve public health in the military-run nation.
Japan, however, in October cancelled nearly five million dollars in aid in protest at the military's bloody crackdown on rallies, in which a Japanese journalist was killed.
The foreign ministry official said Komura is expected to call for democracy in Myanmar during his meetings.
The one-day meeting will include Myanmar, which has faced heavy international criticism since its deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protests in September.
Japan is expected to offer a new aid package to improve infrastructure including highways in the Mekong countries -- Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Japan, which has uneasy ties with China and South Korea due to wartime history, has long seen Southeast Asia as a key region of influence by lavishing development aid and trade deals.
But more recently "the presence of China -- and also South Korea -- in this region is very big," said a Japanese official who handles Southeast Asian matters.
"China has borders with all these countries except for Cambodia, and excluding Thailand, the trade volumes with China are bigger than the trade volumes with Japan for these countries," he said on condition of anonymity.
The ministers will hold individual meetings with Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura and pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
"Cooperative relations between Japan and Vietnam have recently advanced rapidly. I hope the bilateral relationship contributes to cooperation in the whole Mekong region," Komura told Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem at the start of their bilateral meeting.
Khiem replied: "Vietnam will do our utmost for the success of the Mekong foreign ministerial meeting."
Complicating the meeting is the issue of Myanmar, which counts on China as its main ally.
Japan has refused Western calls to end aid to Myanmar and this week pledged 1.79 million dollars to improve public health in the military-run nation.
Japan, however, in October cancelled nearly five million dollars in aid in protest at the military's bloody crackdown on rallies, in which a Japanese journalist was killed.
The foreign ministry official said Komura is expected to call for democracy in Myanmar during his meetings.
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