Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa is arranging a visit to Fiji in the first half of February to attend a ministerial meeting with Pacific island countries and territories, diplomatic sources have said, in an apparent effort to counter China's expanding clout in the region.
Kamikawa is expected to highlight the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law during her envisaged trip, bearing in mind Beijing's maritime assertiveness and growing economic influence in the area, the sources said Friday.
Her envisaged trip comes ahead of a regional summit Japan plans to host with leaders of Pacific island countries and territories this summer in Tokyo.