New foreign aid charter signals much more active overseas role for Japan

Tokyo

JAPAN announced its intention on Tuesday to insert itself much more actively into the international development process by adopting a new Development Cooperation Charter that expands significantly the scope, if not directly, the size of Japanese foreign aid and links it to the recently adopted National Security Strategy.

The document revises Japan's former ODA (Official Development Assistance Charter) and allows the government to take a much broader view of foreign aid than in the past and to provide funds not only to poorer countries, but also to Asian and other middle-income nations requiring help with their development.

Aid will focus especially on regions that could be regarded as part of the Japanese hinterland, such as South-east Asia - Asean in particular - as well as South and Central Asia, in addition to areas such as Africa, the Middle East and Latin…