Japan to send envoy to Solomons amid worry over China pact

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japan is sending a vice foreign minister to the Solomon Islands amid worry over a security agreement it struck with China that could increase Beijing’s military influence. Vice Foreign Minister Kentaro Uesugi’s three-day trip comes on the heels of a visit by a senior U.S. delegation, who warned that Washington would take unspecified action against the South Pacific nation should the security deal with China pose a threat to U.S. or allied interests. Japan considers China’s increasingly assertive military activity in Asian seas a threat. Tokyo is especially concerned about Chinese military and coast guard activity near the Japanese-controlled disputed islands.