As the United States pulls back from large free trade deals in the Asia-Pacific, Japan is competing with China for influence in the area. Japan is discussing deals to build a train line in the Philippines, a seaport in Cambodia, and a free trade agreement for countries around the Pacific Ocean. Previously in June, Hideaki Watanabe, head of the Defense Ministry’s Acquisition Technology and Logistics Agency, said that Japan was seeking to increase its sales of military equipment to Southeast Asian nations amid growing tensions with China and North Korea. Japan has the military and economic heft to make a credible bid as the United States’ successor in Southeast Asia, writes Yeun Foong Khong for East Asia Forum.