On March 19 and 20, Japan’s Defense Minister Minoru Kihara met with counterparts from nearly every Pacific Island nation. It followed a similar meeting in 2021. Tokyo is stepping up its efforts to undermine China’s influence in the strategically important region, as Japan becomes more closely integrated into US-led war preparations against China.
As the US enhances its military strategy of interoperability and buildup against China and strengthened alliances in the Indo-Pacific, including with Japan, Tokyo has remilitarized itself, doubling military spending and joining Washington’s diplomatic efforts to consolidate an anti-China bloc across the region. This week’s talks brought together 14 South Pacific Island countries. Fiji and Papua New Guinea (PNG) sent defense ministers, while Tonga was represented by the crown prince. Senior officials from 11 other participating nations, none of which have military forces, participated in person or online. Japan’s imperialist allies, Australia, New Zealand, France, Canada, Britain, and the United States, as well as Chile, all took part. The discussion focused on security and police agreements ahead of the expected deal to be signed at the tenth Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) this July in Tokyo.
According to Japanese media, the Pacific must be “free, open, and stable” under the “global order based on the rule of law,” which is the mantra used by the United States and its allies to assert their dominance in the region.In reality, the United States is the most aggressive power, using force and coercion against impoverished Pacific countries, including threats or implied threats to intervene militarily in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands if they get too close to China.
