Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her visiting Solomon Islands counterpart, Matthew Wale, confirmed Thursday that the two countries will strengthen their ties based on Tokyo¡¯s Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision, which the Japanese leader has pledged to further develop.
In their meeting at the prime minister¡¯s office in Tokyo, the two leaders discussed regional affairs, apparently with China¡¯s growing military and economic coercion in mind.
¡°We hope to build up cooperation so that we can become strong and prosperous together,¡± Takaichi said. Wale said he has been working to reset the South Pacific island nation¡¯s relations with foreign governments while appreciating its rosy relationship with Japan.
The Japanese government decided the same day to provide low-interest loans of ?3 billion to the Solomon Islands as part of its development cooperation.
Wale, who took office in May, is seeking to reverse his predecessor¡¯s pro-China policy, at a time when Beijing is ramping up its influence over Pacific island countries.
When China launched a ballistic missile toward the Pacific Ocean on July 6, Wale strongly criticized the country, saying this was not the act of a friend.
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