Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe rearranges the power balance in the East and Southeast Asian regions after laying out an assertive foreign policy that would increase maritime aid to Vietnam. 

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Abe said that Beijing's actions in the South China Sea are heightening tensions in the region. He was referring to China's unilateral drilling activities for oil in a territory that Vietnam claims to be its own. 

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He said that Japan will not tolerate any action that would change the status quo, especially those taken by coercion or force. Since last year, Abe has been offering himself to Southeast Asian leaders as a counterweight against what many experts see as China's bullying. 

The Japanese Prime Minister's remarks were heard a day after tensions between Japan and China happened on Saturday when Chinese fighter jets flew very closely to a Japanese aircraft. Both countries were having disputes over a group of small islands in the East China Sea together with its airspace. 

Both countries filed protests with Japan accusing China of intimidation and China accusing Japan of carrying out dangerous actions that seriously violate international laws. 

Abe's tone on Sunday laid out a more aggressive foreign policy in the Asian region and said Tokyo has no choice but to introduce a more muscular and stronger stance against the possible dangers that might befall the region. 

Abe, 59, has been trying to remake Japan's passive diplomacy. 

The Japanese Prime Minister will fly to Singapore on Friday to deliver a keynote speech to the annual Shangri-La Dialogue security conference. Many see this as part of Abe's campaign to keep the balance of power in the Southeast Asian region. 

However, Abe, reports said, had a difficult time selling his agenda. Sometime in the middle of this month, he pushed forward a proposal that would allow his administration to reinterpret Japan's pacifist constitution. 

After World War II, the Allied Forces imposed a military embargo on Japan with tight restrictions. Abe wants those restrictions loosen up to make Japan equal with the U.S. in terms of policing the Asian region. 

The U.S. is encouraging Abe's proposal because of China's recent actions and Beijing's reported boost in its defense spending.

TagsJapanese Foreign Policy, Foreign Policy, Japanese Prime Minister, China-Japan Dispute