Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her visiting Solomon Islands counterpart, Matthew Wale, confirmed Thursday that the two countries will strengthen their ties based on Tokyo’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision, which the Japanese leader has pledged to further develop.

In their meeting at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo, the two leaders discussed regional affairs, apparently with China’s growing military and economic coercion in mind.

“We hope to build up cooperation so that we can become strong and prosperous together,” Takaichi said. Wale said he has been working to reset the South Pacific island nation’s relations with foreign governments while appreciating its rosy relationship with Japan.

The Japanese government decided the same day to provide low-interest loans of ¥3 billion to the Solomon Islands as part of its development cooperation.

Wale, who took office in May, is seeking to reverse his predecessor’s pro-China policy, at a time when Beijing is ramping up its influence over Pacific island countries.

When China launched a ballistic missile toward the Pacific Ocean on July 6, Wale strongly criticized the country, saying this was not the act of a friend.