Japan to Increase MSDF Port Calls to Pacific Island Nations, Seeking Stronger Presence in Region

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:00 JST, July 14, 2024

The government plans to increase the number of port calls by Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels to Pacific island nations, according to a draft of the joint action plan to be adopted at the upcoming Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting in Tokyo.

In the action plan, Japan is expected to outline stronger collaboration with Pacific island nations in seven fields, including security, climate change and technology. Through the meeting, which will be held from Tuesday to Thursday, the government intends to deepen its involvement in the Pacific islands, a frontline of the U.S.-China conflict.

The Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting has been held every three years since 1997. The 10th meeting this year will be attended by leaders from 16 Pacific island countries and regions, including Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia, as well as ministerial-level officials from Australia and New Zealand. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will co-chair the meeting.

The draft of the joint action plan states that the meeting’s participants will work with each other toward their common goals while always respecting the region’s unity. It also lays out seven priority fields: peace and security, political leadership and regionalism, people-centered development, resources and economic development, climate change and disasters, the ocean and the environment, and technology and connectivity.

For peace and security, the draft stipulates that Japan will strengthen defense exchanges and joint exercises through visits by SDF aircraft and ships.

In 2022, China concluded a security agreement with Solomon Islands, indicating a push to turn the South Pacific region into its military stronghold. Japan’s plan is aimed at raising the country’s presence by increasing the frequency of port calls by MSDF destroyers.

The draft also refers to a plan to help boost the capabilities of island nations’ coast guard abilities by providing them with patrol boats via Official Security Assistance, in which Japan provides equipment to like-minded countries in the form of grants.

As for climate change, the draft states that participants share a sense of crisis that island nations will be most seriously impacted by sea level rise and climate and disaster risks, and says members will collaborate in international discussions to reduce disaster risks.

For technology, the draft plan calls for cooperation in maintaining and managing undersea cables in order to enhance the safety, reliability and usability of digital communications.

Island nations in the South Pacific are strategic strongholds on sea lanes connecting Asia with North and South America. The United States and China are struggling for supremacy in the region. Japan is also working to counter China by boosting trust with the island nations.