Japan hosted leaders from more than a dozen Pacific Island Countries (PIC) as well as seven partner nations to explore collaboration in maritime security, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response to strengthen defense ties and bolster regional resilience.
The third Japan-Pacific Islands Defense Dialogue, held in Tokyo in late February 2026, also included seven member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as observers. Talks focused on securing sea lanes and ensuring freedom of navigation “in order to together firmly safeguard the Pacific Ocean,” Japan’s Defense Ministry stated.
Only three of the 14 PICs represented have armed forces — Fiji, Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Tonga — amplifying the importance of partnerships and collective security as the vast region faces threats ranging from illegal fishing to transnational crime and geopolitical competition.
The Pacific region’s 22 island nations and territories are home to about 14.3 million people, although PNG accounts for 75% of the total population, according to Pacific Community, a regional scientific and technical organization. Many island nations have limited resources and capacity to monitor their expansive maritime zones and conduct security and humanitarian missions.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told the forum that “attempts to change the status quo by force must never be tolerated,” the Kyodo News agency reported.
“The Pacific may, at times, be rough,” Koizumi said in his keynote address. “But if we can build a strong and multilayered network reaching beyond regions, then no matter how fierce the waves may become, the Pacific can and will remain the ocean of peace.”
Tokyo highlighted its shiprider program, through which maritime law enforcement and naval officers from 11 PICs embarked on the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) helicopter destroyer JS Ise for expert exchanges as the ship traveled from Japan to the Philippines. JMSDF and Pacific personnel also have conducted joint boarding and inspection training.
Koizumi announced the Next Generation Leadership Security Program, which will invite early and midcareer security policy officials from PICs to join Japan Defense Ministry programs.
PICs participating in the defense dialogue were Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. They were joined by partner nations Australia, Canada, Chile, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
ASEAN members Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam observed the dialogue.
Manila’s inaugural participation “marked a significant milestone in its defense diplomacy” and highlighted its “growing role in promoting regional stability and security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific,” the Philippine National Defense Department stated.
The Philippine delegation also held bilateral meetings with officials from Japan, Malaysia and Singapore on mutual security concerns, discussing expanded defense cooperation and capacity-building initiatives, the Manila Standard newspaper reported.