Japan to offer patrol planes to Malaysia: report

A Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force Lockheed P-3C Orion patrol aircraft is pictured on the tarmac before taking off as part of a joint training exercise with the Philippines, at Antionio Bautista Airbase in Puerto Princesa on the western Philippine island of Palawan on June 24, 2015. Japan and the Philippines flew patrol planes near disputed South China Sea waters for the second straight day on June 24, defying Chinese warnings. The Japanese P-3C Orion and a Philippine navy islander flew on a search and rescue drill 50 nautical miles (92.6 kilometres) northwest of Palawan island, officials said. AFP PHOTO /

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan plans to donate retired military patrol aircraft to Malaysia, a report said Friday, as alliances strengthen in response to China’s maritime claims.

The two countries are among a number in the region stepping up defense cooperation against what they see as Beijing’s aggressive stance on the high seas.

Beijing insists it has sovereign rights to almost all of the South China Sea — strategically vital waters, where the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims.

Responding to a request by Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo plans to offer decommissioned P-3C patrol aircraft, the Nikkei business daily said, quoting an unnamed official at the defence ministry.

Japan’s parliament is currently deliberating a bill that would allow the nation to provide military equipment to other countries at no cost.

Malaysia will likely be the first beneficiary once the bill is passed, the Nikkei said, without clarifying how many P-3Cs Japan plans to hand off.

The Maritime Self-Defense Force — Japan’s navy — currently has some 60 P-3Cs in operation, and plans to retire those that have logged around 15,000 hours’ flight.

Immediate confirmation of the report was not available.

As well as its spats around the South China Sea, Beijing is also involved in a simmering territorial row with Tokyo over disputed islands in the East China Sea.

© Agence France-Presse

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