Approximately 30 billion yen has been allocated in the Foreign Ministry’s budget for FY18 to implement Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s “strategy for a free and open Indo-Pacific.” The government will provide official development assistance (ODA) to developing countries for setting up radars on remote islands, building ports, and procuring used ships.

A total of 214.9 billion yen is earmarked for the ministry’s “basic expenditures,” including travel expenses and upgrading facilities of foreign missions, which is being championed by Foreign Minister Taro Kono. The ministry’s personnel will also be increased by 90, while 800 million yen will be used for the bid to hold the 2025 World Expo in Osaka as a new project. Preparations for the G20 Summit to be held in Japan in 2019 will receive 400 million yen.

The ODA budget will be 434.4 billion yen, up by 100 million yen from the initial FY17 budget.