From Japan’s point of view, Southeast Asia’s security can be divided into two zones, mainland and maritime. “So, if Japan needed cooperation in military and security matters, Indonesia is very important player. “But, frankly speaking, Japan cannot expect the Thai military to play any role in maritime security,” Murai said. “If Japan allocated 2 per cent of GDP for military purposes I don’t think any country would complain about Japanese military expansion,” he said. “More importantly, unlike China, Japan cannot be a military giant again.

Source: The Nation Bangkok November 23, 2016 10:28 UTC