### 1. East Asia

East Asia consists of a variety of nations: countries such as South Korea and Singapore, which have attained high economic growth and have already been shifted from aid recipients to donors; least developed countries (LDCs) (see “Terminology” on page 69) such as Cambodia and Laos; countries such as China, which still has internal disparities despite its dramatic economic growth; and countries such as Vietnam, which is in the process of transitioning from a centrally planned economy to a market economy. Japan has close relationships with these countries in all aspects of politics, economy, and culture, so the development and stability of the region significantly impacts the security and prosperity of Japan as well. From this perspective, Japan engages in assistance activities, responding to the diverse socio-economic circumstances of East Asian countries and to changes in the type of aid needs.

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Japan has contributed to the remarkable economic growth in East Asia by implementing economic cooperation that combines ODA with trade and investment, including the improvement of infrastructure, development of systems and human resources, promotion of trade, and revitalization of private investment. Currently, Japan is aiming to further enhance open regional cooperation and integration while sharing basic values, to promote mutual understanding, and to maintain solid regional stability. Therefore, Japan has made efforts to respond proactively to transnational problems such as natural disasters, environment and climate change, infectious diseases, and terrorism and piracy. Japan also works to promote mutual understanding through large-scale youth exchanges, cultural exchanges, and projects to disseminate Japanese language education.

Although the impact of the global financial and

## • Support for Southeast Asia

Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) $ ^{22} $ aim for the build of the ASEAN community by 2015. Japan has continued to assist the enhancement of ASEAN connecting and in narrowing the development gap within ASEAN. In particular, providing support for the Mekong countries, $ ^{23} $ which are late-joining members of ASEAN, is important from the standpoint of reducing intraregional disparities as well. The first-ever Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting was held in November 2009, with representatives from participating countries gaining a shared recognition regarding the Establishment of a New Partnership for the Common Flourishing Future on three

A scene of rural area in Laos (Photo: Isamu Yamamoto)

economic crisis started in 2008 has largely been overcome in East Asia, in order for Japan and other Asian countries to achieve further economic prosperity, it will be important to help Asia to be “a center of growth open to the world.” Accordingly, Japan provides assistance to strengthen Asia’s growth and to expand domestic demand in each country. As concrete measures, Japan announced in April 2009 that it would disburse up to ¥2 trillion in ODA assistance. Under this initiative, Japan currently provides steady assistance for such efforts as improvement of infrastructure, support for the socially vulnerable, establishment of low-carbon societies (see “Terminology” on page 77), and development of human resources. (Approximately ¥675 billion was disbursed from 2009 until July 2011.)

pillars: (i) comprehensive development of the Mekong region, (ii) environment and climate change (launch of the “A Decade toward the Green Mekong” initiative), and overcoming vulnerability, and (iii) expansion of cooperation and exchanges. To promote these efforts, Japan committed that it would expand ODA, particularly to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, and the entire Mekong region, with more than ¥500 billion of ODA in the next three years. In addition, at the fourth Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in July 2011, participants discussed the environmental issues and climate change, promotion of investment through collaboration between