TOKYO: Pacific island states and Japan on Thursday said they “expressed strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by the threat or use of force or coercion”, in a veiled reference to China.

Such phrasing is often used by the United States and its allies to refer to Beijing’s growing influence and military capacity in the Asia-Pacific.

Tokyo and the 18 Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) members did not mention China explicitly in a joint statement after a three-day summit in the Japanese capital.

But the language in their declaration at the 10th triennial PALM talks was stronger than that in the statement from the gathering’s last iteration PALM9, held virtually in 2021.

“Leaders committed to ensure a peaceful, stable and prosperous Asia-Pacific region, and noted with concern the rapid military buildup which is not conducive to this end and called for proactive, responsible and transparent engagement to uphold regional peace and security,” it said.

With US support, Japan has strengthened defence cooperation in the hotly contested Pacific region where China is also offering aid for infrastructure and security.

Ships carrying vital energy imports to Japan pass through the waterways surrounding the PIF members, which are also important fishing zones for Japan.