The leaders of Japan and Pacific island nations, many of which fear rising sea levels from global warming will eventually submerge their territory, gathered Friday night to kick off a two-day summit in Okinawa on regional maritime issues and disaster countermeasures.
Tokyo, which is hosting the triennial Japan-Pacific Islands Forum for the sixth time, invited the United States for the first time as Washington strategically shifts its focus to the Asia-Pacific region to stem China's growing assertiveness. The event will be cochaired by Noda and Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna.
"I'd like to deepen ties (with Pacific island nations) by conducting vigorous discussions on issues such as disaster prevention and climate change," Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda told reporters before leaving for the summit in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture.