Japan, Australia, US to Fund Undersea Cable Connection in Micronesia to Counter China’s Influence

(L–R) U.S. President Joe Biden, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi hold a Quad meeting on the sidelines of the G–7 summit, at the Grand Prince Hotel in Hiroshima, western Japan, on May 20, 2023. Jonathan Ernst/Pool Photo via AP

TOKYO—Japan announced Tuesday that it joined the United States and Australia in signing an agreement on a $95 million undersea cable project that will connect East Micronesia island nations to improve networks in the Indo-Pacific region where China is increasingly expanding its influence.

The approximately 2,250-kilometer (1,400-mile) undersea cable will connect the state of Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia, Tarawa in Kiribati, and Nauru to the existing cable landing point located in Pohnpei in Micronesia, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.