(Kyodo News) Hanoi, Vietnam ● Mon, October 19, 2020 2020-10-19 09:45 355 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4b9e617 2 SE Asia Yoshihide-Suga,Japan,Vietnam,China,Nguyen-Xuan-Phuc,COVID-19,defense,economic-diplomacy,Jokowi Free Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga started a meeting Monday with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi, with the two set to discuss economic and defense cooperation. Suga is expected to promote efforts to achieve a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” in a veiled counter to China’s growing influence in the region, as well as agree with Phuc to facilitate the cross-border flow of medical supplies and other goods, according to Japanese officials. Japan is looking to diversify its supply chain to mitigate risks brought to light by the COVID-19 crisis, including its reliance on Chinese imports for face masks. The government is handing out subsidies to firms that move production to Southeast Asia, which is both geographically well-placed and can provide relatively cheap labor. Of the 30 firms chosen so far to receive the subsidies, ranging from manufacturers of medical gowns and disinfectant wipes to car engine parts, half are planning to set up in Vietnam. The countries are close to reaching a military agreement that would enable Japan to export defense equipment and technology to Vietnam, including patrol planes…