TOKYO - JAPAN plans to set aside about US$10 billion (S$14.4 billion) over the next five years to help countries such as China and Indonesia fight global warming, a newspaper reported on Thursday.

Japan's aid programme would focus on measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions, ease the effects of disasters caused by global warming and promote the use of alternative energy sources, the Nikkei business daily said.

The aid package would come in the form of grants or yen-denominated, low-interest loans, the daily said.

Apart from helping improve the efficiency of China's ageing coal-fired power plants, it would be used to help developing countries gather and monitor meteorological data so that they could take measures to prevent natural disasters, Nikkei said.

Japan was expected to formally agree to provide Indonesia with undisclosed aid in March, it said. Tokyo would also give financial assistance to Tuvalu, a low-lying Pacific country that was already suffering from rising seas and storm surges linked to climate change, it added.

Japanese government officials were not immediately available for comment. -- REUTERS