Japan to Give 6 Navy Boats to Vietnam

By Sarah Price - 01 Aug '14 06:44AM

As part of a grand aid package, Japan will give six navy boats to Vietnam that will help it boost its patrols and surveillance in the South China Sea, Japan's Foreign Minister said Friday.

This step marks the latest move in strengthening of alliances between the states locked in maritime rows with China, Reuters reports.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida is on a two-day visit to Vietnam for a cooperation conference. The deal, for six used vessels worth 500 million Yen ($5 million), was signed by Vietnam's Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh and Kishida, Associated Press reports.

The navy boats will be accompanied by training and equipment to make the efforts of the coastguard and fisheries surveillance better.

"We hope this will help strengthen the maritime law enforcement capability of Vietnam," Kishida told the media at a press conference with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh.

Earlier, after holding talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Tokyo, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had said, "Our countries' cooperation is extremely important for regional peace and stability, especially for maintaining maritime order as well as international aviation order."

At a news conference in Hanoi, Kishida said that International security is becoming more complicated and prosperity can only be witnessed if there is stability in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. "I hope this equipment will strengthen the ability of Vietnam's coastal enforcement authorities," he further added.

Vietnam-China relations stooped to their worst point after China deployed a giant oil rig in May, near the Paracel islands - which are also claimed by Vietnam.

To protect the oil rig, China sent a large fleet of ships and Vietnam also sent its coastguard and fisheries patrol vessels to force away the oil rig as well as other larger Chinese vessels. China moved the oil rig around mid-July.

Now, both Japan and Vietnam have agreed that the disputes in South China Sea must be resolved peacefully.