×
App Icon
The Standard e-Paper
Home To Bold Columnists
★★★★ - on Play Store
Read on the App

While eyeing China, Japan backs Sri Lanka as Indo-Pacific partner

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, left, meets with his Sri Lankan counterpart, Ali Sabry, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 29, 2023. [AP Photo]

Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Saturday that Sri Lanka is a key partner in a Tokyo-led initiative aimed at building security and economic cooperation around the Indo-Pacific but also at countering an increasingly assertive China.

Sri Lanka, strategically located in the Indian Ocean, is integral to realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific, Hayashi said. He was speaking after a meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart, Ali Sabry, in the capital, Colombo.

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week
Bold Reporting Takes Time, Courage and Investment. Stand With Us.
  • Unlimited access to all premium content
  • Uninterrupted ad-free browsing experience
  • Mobile-optimized reading experience
  • Weekly Newsletters
  • MPesa, Airtel Money and Cards accepted
Already a subscriber? Log in