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On November 28, 2019, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hosted a reception in honor of the gathering of foreign cadets who have graduated from the undergraduate course of the National Defense Academy (NDA), at the Prime Minister’s Official Residence.
 
The Prime Minister said in his address,
 
“Foreign cadets who have graduated from the undergraduate course of the National Defense Academy, welcome to Japan. I would like to extend my heartfelt welcome to all of you. Those who work for them, as well as foreign cadets currently studying at the NDA, thank you very much for joining us today.
 
Since first accepting a young cadet from the Thai Navy to the NDA in 1958, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and Self-Defense Forces (SDF) have exerted their efforts to expand the number of countries which send their foreign cadets to Japan, in particular from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. Until today, we have accepted more than 2,000 foreign cadets. Over the past sixty years, the accumulation of such steady efforts in the field of education has also borne fruit in the Asia-Pacific Region.
 
At the same time, it is a fact that the security environment surrounding Japan is facing a rapid increase in severity and uncertainty, amidst a significant change in the power balance in the international community.
 
Amid such security conditions, it is essential that we have a strong bond with those of you who have graduated from the NDA and are making significant contributions as a bridge between your respective countries and Japan’s MOD and SDF, and those of you who will graduate and take on such roles in the future.
 
If it were possible, at this point, I would have liked to introduce everyone here. If we did so, however, it would take close to two hours. As time is limited, I would like to introduce one person each from Thailand and Singapore, countries from which we have particularly long histories of accepting foreign cadets.
 
First, I will introduce General Prachin from Thailand, who graduated in 1990 and is among one of the approximately 200 Thai people who have graduated from the NDA. I have heard that, during his time at the NDA, not only was he awarded for his excellent grades, but he also served as a student leader in his fourth year, supervising a platoon of 40 other students. In the approximately 30 years since he graduated, he has exercised his leadership as a staff officer supporting the Deputy Minister of Defense.
 
Next is Rear-Admiral Edwin Leong from Singapore, from which we have been receiving exchange students since 1973. He graduated in 1998. Rear-Admiral Leong majored in aerospace engineering at the NDA. It is worth noting that he had the highest grades of any student, including Japanese students, in his third and fourth years. I wish the Japanese students would do as he did. In any case, it has been approximately 20 years since he graduated, and he is now making great use of his intelligence as Head of Naval Operations in Singapore.
 
This gathering is the first of its kind to build a network with foreign cadets who have graduated from the NDA.
 
We hope that the mutual understanding and the relationship of trust between Japan and the countries sending foreign cadets will further deepen and such individual connections will expand vertically and horizontally and grow into a huge security network that covers the entire Asia-Pacific region.
 
Today, after this, as I was told by my staff, a representative from each country will make a one-minute speech. I said it would take twice the time with interpreting, but actually, you are to make a speech in Japanese, while I do not have an interpreter for my speech today either. As the reception is proceeding smoothly, we should have such meetings much more in the future. I will close my remarks with my hope that you will make significant contributions for your respective countries and for peace in Asia, as well as for global peace.
 
Thank you for coming from so far away to be here today.”