Tokyo will provide Vietnam with six vessels as part of a ¥500 million aid package, expecting that the ships will be used for maritime security patrols by Hanoi, which is in a territorial standoff with China in the South China Sea, Japanese government sources said Thursday.
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, who arrived in the Southeast Asian country on Thursday, is expected to announce the plan during his talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on Friday, the sources said.
Of the six vessels, two are fishery patrol boats of the Fisheries Agency, while four are commercial fishing boats, the sources said. All are previously owned and are 600- to 800 -ton-class ships. Lifeboats and other equipment will also be offered.