Tentative moves were made in 1993, with Japanese forces joining UN peacekeepers in Cambodia. The lobby that fears a resurgence of Japanese militarism is still strong, however, and wishes to avoid foreign entanglements. In Asia, Japan remains burdened by the legacy of distrust arising from its military expansion and harsh colonial exploitation of its neighbours in the first half of the 20th century. AID Japan is the world's largest aid donor. Most aid is spent in Asia and the Pacific, particularly in the expanding economies of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Polynesian islands are beneficiaries of Japanese aid.
Tokyo effectively supports their main livelihood, fishing. The defence establishment in Japan has not recovered from the effects of the 1941-1945 war. However, Japan's economic success has allowed its Self-Defence Forces to become relatively large in world terms. The world's most competitive producer of high-tech electronic products and cars. Commitment to long-term research and development.