Japan pledged Friday to provide foreign aid in an "offer-based" manner, even without waiting for recipient nations to make requests, with China trying to bolster its economic clout in the developing world by utilizing financial measures.
Combining the more proactive approach with its traditional "request-based" concept, Japan will use official development assistance as one of the "most important diplomatic tools," said a revised policy outline approved by the Cabinet.
The first update of the ODA policy blueprint since February 2015 comes amid mounting concern over China's development aid policies, which have been slammed by critics for using loans as leverage to extract concessions from borrowing countries, known as "debt trap diplomacy."
Japan promised in the modified policy proposal to support developing nations based on "inclusiveness, transparency and equity" without resorting to "debt trap or economic coercion," aiming to secure their independence and sustainability.
The outline, meanwhile, set a numerical goal of increasing Japan's ODA budget to 0.7% of gross national income, although a target year for achieving the objective was not specified.
The figure in 2022 was around 0.4%, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The blueprint also said Japan will offer assistance to help recipient governments to develop their legal systems to establish the "rule of law" while paying "full attention" to how such nations will map out their policies to fight against climate change.
A Foreign Ministry official told reporters that Japan received more than 140 public comments in a one-month period through May 4 on the draft of the revised proposal, which was made public in April.