Japan broadening its official development assistance (ODA) program

 Japan weighs providing foreign aid for military-linked projects

Following Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's decision to boost defense spending, the country is taking another step in adapting to a challenging security environment.
 
Tokyo is considering broadening its official development assistance (ODA) program -- one of the world's largest -- to cover projects such as joint military-civilian facilities and coastal radar systems, moving away from a strictly nonmilitary approach.
 
ODA could go to militaries of countries that Tokyo considers friendly and whose cooperation is seen as contributing to Japan's security.
 
   Potential projects include construction and maintenance of military hospitals or military-civilian airports and seaports.
 
Radars and data analysis systems that help countries monitor their waters and airspace, as well as armored vehicles for anti-terrorism operations, are also candidates for aid.
 
The switch comes from an understanding that Japanese ODA's strictly civilian focus has left room for China to use its Belt and Road Initiative to make inroads in countries in Southeast Asia that need to upgrade their military facilities, expanding Beijing's influence in the process.