Looking 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. Beijing has expanded its influence in the Indian Ocean area as part of its Belt and Road infrastructure initiative -- a trend Japan hopes to curb through greater security cooperation in the region.
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