Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
World

Japan, US vow to enhance ties with Solomon Islands amid China clout

Japan's Chief of Staff, Joint Staff General Koji Yamazaki, poses with US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy on Sunday after presenting her a medal during a Japanese commemorative service to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal in Honiara on Solomon Islands. (Photo by Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade shows/ AFP)

Senior government and military officials from Japan and the United States on Sunday vowed to strengthen cooperation with the Solomon Islands amid increasing Chinese influence, as they gathered in the capital Honiara to mark the 80th anniversary of the World War II Battle of Guadalcanal.

The fierce battle between US Marines and Imperial Japanese forces in 1942 over the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands spanned about six months and resulted in some 22,000 deaths among Japanese forces, many from starvation and disease. The Allied forces suffered some 1,600 casualties in the fighting, while thousands more also died of disease.

Among the senior figures from both countries who attended commemoration ceremonies in Honiara were Makoto Oniki, Japanese senior vice defence minister, and US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.

The senior US diplomat, who is currently on a multileg tour of South Pacific nations, reiterated the United States' commitment to reinvesting in its relationship with Pacific island nations amid China's increasing influence in the region.

"Today, we remember the pain and strife that scarred the Pacific...and we recommit ourselves to moving forward together as partners and as true and lasting friends," Sherman remarked at a commemoration service at the Guadalcanal American Memorial on Skyline Ridge.

Sherman, who revealed that her father Mal Sherman had fought and been injured in the battle, warned that the lessons of the war are being forgotten by some of today's leaders.

"As we have lost the Guadalcanal generation to the passage of time, we have seen around the world some...who seem to have forgotten the awful lessons learned here," said Sherman.

In a veiled criticism of Russia and China, she added that such leaders are those who "believe that coercion, pressure and violence are tools to be used with impunity."

In a separate memorial service hosted by the Japanese government and also attended by US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy, Oniki said, "I express my deep respect for the bereaved families and other people who endured their sorrow of losing loved ones and friends and overcame hardship," while expressing hope to build stronger ties with Pacific island nations.

Later on Sunday, Oniki met with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and agreed to strengthen cooperation between Japan and the Solomon Islands, sources familiar with the matter said.

The Solomon Islands has been the centre of increasing geopolitical competition in the Pacific, after it signed a wide-reaching security pact with China in April.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.