Military cooperation not aid, Abe's tool of choice in SE Asia

Together with the United States and Australia, Japan has again tried to drive a wedge between Southeast Asian countries and China. Although the three countries have no territorial claims in the South China Sea, they are intervening in the region in the name of "freedom of navigation" and "the rule of law".

When, after their meeting in Laos last week, the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations did not mention in their final statement the ruling in the South China Sea arbitration case initiated by the Philippines, the three countries came up with their own statement chiding China for its claims in the South China Sea.

Japan, the US and Australia regard themselves as a "pillar" of stability throughout the Asia-Pacific region, and the foreign ministers of the three countries met on the sidelines of the ASEAN meetings, issuing a statement in which they called on countries in the region to uphold the ruling, which China has consistently said it does not acknowledge or accept as it is unlawful.