Malaysia and Japan signed a memorandum of understanding to increase military communication and collaborate on defense equipment, a move seen by analysts as part of the latter’s campaign to work more closely with Indo-Pacific countries to check China’s military buildup in the region, Nikkei Asian Review reports. China’s re-emergence as the largest power in the region has compelled Japan to take the lead in articulating the necessity for an Indo-Pacific strategy, according to Stephen R. Nagy of Tokyo’s International Christian University. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been selling the strategic idea to Washington. The US National Security Strategy report, which was released in December, states that the country must protect its interest in the region from China’s dominance.