Japan Cabinet Secretary Says Solomon Islands-China Pact May Impact Region

News Snapshot:

China's security agreement with the Solomon Islands may affect security for the region and is a probable topic for discussions between the leaders of Japan and New Zealand, Japan's chief cabinet secretary said. The security pact is a major inroad for China in the resource-rich Pacific, which Australia and New Zealand have for decades seen as their "backyard," and the White House said in a statement this week that the United States, Japan, Australia and New Zealand were concerned. "This agreement is likely to have an impact on the overall region's security, so we are watching it with concern," Hirokazu...