A 20-year LNG supply deal between Japan and Malaysia positions the Southeast Asian nation as a key energy and security partner for Tokyo. Analysts see this as Malaysia leveraging its resources to become a regional 'middle power'.

Japan’s signing of a 20-year LNG supply deal with Malaysia’s Petronas has cast the Southeast Asian country as a valuable energy and security partner, as Tokyo looks to protect itself from global supply shocks and deepen ties with trusted allies. The latest move also underscores how, amid the energy crisis, Asian nations are striking deals bilaterally, with Malaysia leveraging its vast natural resources to rise as a “middle power”, according to analysts. Under the agreement announced during...