A five-nation grouping that includes Japan and the United States is looking to add members to its framework established in June to support Pacific islands.
The aim of the Partners in the Blue Pacific, which also includes Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, is to counter the growing influence of China. Beijing has been providing economic support to several Pacific island nations.
According to Japanese government sources, France, Germany and South Korea are considering to join the framework. The founding nations will hold a foreign ministers' meeting in New York later this month, coinciding with the United Nations General Assembly, and are making arrangements to have representatives from the three nations attend the meeting as observers.
