Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru will visit Malaysia and Indonesia early next month.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa told reporters on Friday that the prime minister will begin his four-day trip on January 9.

Ishiba will hold separate summits with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. He hopes to build personal relations with them, boost bilateral ties and confirm coordination on various pending issues in the region.

Malaysia and Indonesia are both recipients of Japan's provision of defense equipment and other materials under its Official Security Assistance framework. Ishiba hopes to boost security coordination with the countries, with China's increasing maritime assertiveness in mind.

Describing Southeast Asia as a strategic point in sea traffic and a center of global growth, Hayashi said Japan's cooperation with the region is indispensable from the standpoint of realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law, and working in coordination with the Global South.