NewsLooking to advance its push for a "free and open" Indo-Pacific and counter Chinese influence Japan sent its defense minister Sunday on a trip to India and Sri Lanka. Itsunori Onodera first stops in India to meet with counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman and make a courtesy call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In Sri Lanka, Onodera will meet with President Maithripala Sirisena on Japanese assistance to the navy. This marks the first-ever trip by a Japanese defense minister to the country. Onodera plans to visit Sri Lanka's Hambantota port, which is under a 99-year lease to a Chinese operator.

Source: Sunday Times August 20, 2018 06:11 UTC