Japan has sent its Minister of Defence Itsunori Onodera on an official visit to Sri Lanka and India aiming to advance its push for a "free and open" Indo-Pacific and to counter the Chinese influence in the region, Japanese media reported.
Onodera is scheduled to hold discussions with President Maithripala Sirisena on Japanese assistance to the Sri Lanka Navy. This also marks the first-ever trip by a Japanese Defence Minister to the country.Onodera plans to visit Sri Lanka's Hambantota port, which is under a 99-year lease to a Chinese operator. Beijing has expanded its influence in the Indian Ocean area as part of its Belt and Road infrastructure initiative -- a trend Japan hopes to curb through greater security cooperation in the region.
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