Japan, Pacific Island Nations to Work on Deepening Cooperation

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:19 JST, February 22, 2026

During the Japan Pacific Islands Defense Dialogue, which started Sunday, defense ministers and representatives of the island nations will explore how to strengthen defense cooperation while ensuring regional stability and promoting a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.” The three-day conference, which a record number of nations are participating in, will also cover various issues that the participating countries are concerned about.

In addition to a meeting on maritime security, the conference will hold sessions regarding climate change, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as many island nations are strongly concerned over global warming, which causes sea levels to rise.

Seven member nations of ASEAN that border the South China Sea will attend. They are namely the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei.

The Japanese government aims to further spread the vision of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” an idea that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Cabinet promotes, while facilitating the relationships between island nations and the Southeast Asian countries.

The United States, the United Kingdom and Australia will also participate as partner countries.

The island nations are located in the South Pacific Ocean, which is considered a strategic sea lane that connects Australia, which supplies mineral resources and food, with nations such as Japan and the United States. The area has extensive Exclusive Economic Zones and is rich in marine resources such as tuna and bonito.

The Pacific island nations have traditionally established relations with Australia and New Zealand. However, in recent years, China has garnered strong influence over the islands through such means as providing large loans for infrastructure development, intensifying geopolitical competition.

China has aimed to establish bases that enable its military to operate in the areas of the sea beyond the defense perimeter against the United States called the “Second Island Chain,” which extends from Japan’s Izu Islands to Guam and Papua New Guinea. China and the Solomon Islands signed a security agreement in 2022 that reportedly allows China to dispatch its military units to the Solomon Islands.

The Japanese government intends to strengthen ties with the island nations while coordinating with the United States and Australia. It has been promoting its Official Security Assistance program and reached agreements with Tonga and Papua New Guinea this fiscal year. Japan will provide UAVs to the Tongan military and heavy machinery to the military of Papua New Guinea. Japan has also sent officers from the Self Defense Forces to Fiji to help capacity building in the areas of disaster relief and hygiene.