Vietnam and the Philippines seek Japan's aid in obtaining oil.

Due to the oil shortage caused by the Iran war, countries in Southeast Asia such as the Philippines and Vietnam are seeking support from Japan, including sharing part of their oil reserves and helping them reduce oil consumption. Due to soaring energy prices, as well as rising costs for oil tanker operations and insurance premiums, Southeast Asian countries are finding it difficult to obtain short-term energy supply in the spot market. Some countries are turning to Japan, which has huge reserves, for support. However, Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry, Akasawa Akira, has stated that the country will generally sell its oil reserves to domestic refining companies, indicating that the Japanese government currently has no intention of directly providing its national reserves to other Asian countries seeking assistance.