Japan-China infrastructure funding rivalry hots up

Tokyo

RIVALRY between Japan and China - and between the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) as their respective proxies - came into sharp focus over the weekend as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that Japan is stepping up its infrastructure aid in conjunction with the ADB.

The move comes as Japan and China compete aggressively to provide infrastructure facilities from high-speed rail systems to nuclear power installations across Asia and beyond. China recently won a major contract for a fast-rail project in Indonesia while Japan is pushing for contracts in Malaysia and the Philippines.