Photo/Illutration Malaysian defense officials listen to an explanation about a drone given by Japan under its Official Security Assistance program. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The Foreign Ministry plans to double its Official Security Assistance to like-minded nations facing the growing threat of maritime advances being made by China.

The budget proposal for fiscal 2026 sets aside 18.1 billion ($116 million) for OSA.

When the OSA program began in fiscal 2023, four nations received about 2 billion yen in defense equipment.

But in the current fiscal year, the program has expanded to 12 nations, including the Philippines, Indonesia and Mongolia, as well as island nations in the Pacific.

Initially, radar systems and patrol boats were given to the recipient nations, but the equipment has also expanded in diversity.

For the next fiscal year, the doubling of the OSA amount will mean that more than a dozen nations will receive the assistance in the form of advanced radar equipment and other items.

When Prime Minster Sanae Takaichi met with leaders of ASEAN members in October, she said the number of nations receiving OSA would increase.

OSA was on the agenda in Takaichi’s separate meetings with the leaders of Cambodia and Vietnam.

Many of the nations to receive OSA are located in key points along the sea lanes that ship important resources to Japan from the Middle East.

A high-ranking Foreign Ministry official said about the recipient nations, “They are trying to protect themselves amid the struggles between the United States and China. By assisting them, Japan will also benefit.”

Meanwhile, Official Development Assistance to developing nations will also increase in the fiscal 2026 budget for the first time in five years.

A total of 449.7 billion yen is included in the 2026 budget, an increase of 11.7 billion yen from the current fiscal year.

After reaching a peak in the 1990s, the ODA figure has steadily declined. It has remained largely unchanged in recent years.

Overseas expectations for Japan’s ODA have increased especially in wake of the decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development.

A Foreign Ministry source said the ODA program was increased because the Takaichi administration has indicated its intention to strengthen cooperation with the so-called Global South group of newly emerging and developing nations.

The increases in the assistance programs mean that the Foreign Ministry is seeking a record 817 billion yen in the next fiscal year budget.

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