Japan to provide defence equipment to Cambodia under security aid programme

Japan will provide defense equipment worth 500 million yen (103 million baht) to the Cambodian military under Tokyo’s security assistance framework designed to support like-minded partners, the Japanese government said on Sunday.

In the first defence equipment provision to Cambodia utilising the “official security assistance” programme, Japan will deliver communication devices to the Cambodian army and patrol boats to the navy, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

The two governments held a signing ceremony for the agreement in Phnom Penh earlier in the day.

“Contributing to the enhancement of Cambodia’s security capabilities and to peace and stability in the region will be significantly meaningful in strengthening the security relationship between the two countries,” the ministry said.

Under the official security assistance programme launched in 2023, other southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have been chosen as recipients.

The move comes amid China’s growing military clout in the southeastern Asian nation that has seen it fund the expansion of the Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand, which has accepted port calls by Chinese warships.