By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-09-20 00:56:34 | Updated at 2026-09-20 02:14:00
1 hour ago
TOKYO - Japan has decided to provide up to 430 million yen (S$3.5 million) in grants to help the Solomon Islands hold fair elections as Tokyo looks to strengthen ties with Pacific island countries where China has been increasing its clout.
In collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Japan will give technical advice and assist the local election management board in running unified elections scheduled in 2028, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
“Being strategically located in the Pacific, strengthening relations with the Solomon Islands contributes to the realisation of a ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’, based on the rule of law,” the ministry said.
Solomon Islands’ Prime Minister Matthew Wale, who took office in May, has signalled a departure from a pro-China stance of his recent predecessors.
He criticised his country’s signing of a comprehensive security pact with China in 2022, while he was in the opposition. After taking office, he announced that his government would review the agreement during his visit to Australia in June.
In the wake of Wale’s rise to power, Japan and other like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific region are seizing the opportunity to counter Beijing’s influence over the strategically important island nation.
The “contribution marks a significant milestone in bilateral cooperation, reaffirming Japan’s commitment to democratic governance and inclusive development in Solomon Islands,”, the UNDP said in a statement.
The UN agency added that it is expanding the support already extended to the Pacific country by Australia, Britain and the European Union. KYODO NEWS
