TOKYO: Japanese firms have spent record amounts scooping up assets in Southeast Asia this year, part of a trend that has seen Tokyo moving to boost its presence in the fast-growing region and away from China.

As Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe leaves on Thursday for a three-day trip to some of the region’s biggest economies to tap an expanding middle class, figures show Japanese firms have this year spent more on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) than ever before.

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