Japan is reasserting its military presence across Asia amid rising worries of Chinese aggression and doubts over US commitment to the region’s security.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi — who last year drew Beijing’s ire after saying her country could become involved militarily if Taiwan was attacked by China — visited Australia and Vietnam recently as she looked to bolster security ties. Her defense minister, meanwhile, met with his Indonesian counterpart, and is set to visit South Korea next month.

However, Tokyo’s security push, which has included lifting restrictions on arms shipments for the first time since World War II, could be undermined by China’s commercial might: While Japan has expanded militarily, economically it is “losing ground,” an expert said.