Japan, a long-standing investor in Malaysia, is set to deepen its economic partnership by expanding collaboration in key sectors such as green transformation, rare earth development, and supply chain resilience, strengthening the strategic ties between the two nations, according to BERNAMA.

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, in an exclusive article shared with Bernama ahead of his visit to Malaysia, highlighted the enduring economic bond and shared growth both nations have cultivated over the years.

"In the economic field, Japan has long been one of Malaysia's key investment and trade partners, and both countries have achieved growth.

"Today, LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) and semiconductors of Malaysia become indispensable to daily life in Japan," he wrote.

Reflecting on their strong history of collaboration, Ishiba recalled Malaysia's critical support following the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

"I will never forget how, in the immediate aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Petronas promptly supplied LNG to the disaster area at a time when Japan's LNG supply and demand were tight," he said.

Ishiba said the principles of sustainability and innovation in Malaysia's MADANI policy are shared by Japan and Malaysia.

"During this visit, I intend to confirm the progress of Japan-Malaysia economic relations, taking into account new areas of cooperation including enhancing supply chains resilience and rare earths," he said.

Addressing the critical challenges of decarbonisation and energy transition in Southeast Asia, Ishiba stressed the importance of working together to achieve shared goals.

"Together with Malaysia, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, we will work to simultaneously achieve decarbonisation, economic growth, and energy security through the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) initiative," he said.

Highlighting the significance of the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) in advancing sustainability efforts, Ishiba said that Japan aimed to expedite discussions and sign a JCM agreement with Malaysia at the earliest opportunity.

"JCM will contribute to emissions reductions in both countries through the use of our leading decarbonising technologies and the creation of carbon credits," he said.

Recognising Malaysia's growing challenges with flooding, Ishiba expressed Japan's readiness to share its expertise in flood control and disaster risk reduction.