Japan has
promised to give aid to five Mekong nations, whose leaders are in Japan for
high-level talks aimed at fostering development and friendship. The
resource-rich region is also being courted by China.
Leaders of
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam met on Saturday, with host
country Japan promising $7.4 billion (5.6 billion euros) in aid to the region.
The morning
summit was the fourth of its kind and provided an important diplomatic platform
for Myanmar as it regains credibility in the international community.
"The
stability and prosperity of East Asia will not be possible without the
stability and prosperity of the Mekong region," Prime Minister Yoshihiko
Noda told a joint press conference.
"The
Japanese government will recognize the Mekong region as a significant
destination of assistance and continue its cooperation strongly," said
Noda at the end of the six-way summit.
Thai Prime
Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung,
Laotian Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun
Sen gave a commitment their nations would use the Japanese aid efficiently.
Competition
for influence
Beijing and
Tokyo have for years vied for influence in the Mekong Delta region, situated
around the lower stretches of the 4,800-kilometre (2,980-mile) Mekong River.
Japan
maintained trade and dialogue with Myanmar throughout its years of isolation,
warning the West that to alienate the repressive military junta could force it
closer to China.
The five
countries have historically been isolated by war and political turmoil. With
the region poorer than most other parts of Southeast Asia, it is seen as an
important potential source of cheap labor for export-driven Japan.
Prime
Minister Yoshihiko Noda had also been expected to meet Myanmar President Thein
Sein separately, being expected to forgive $3.7 billion in debt and begin a
suspended assistance program to the country.
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