The Foreign Ministry plans to set up a new embassy in Kiribati, an island nation in the South Pacific, next fiscal year. (https://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0008139333) Japan is opening the two facilities to better compete against China, which has enhanced its advancements in the South Pacific. The Kiribati government in 2019 severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan and established a formal relationship with China at the behest of Beijing. It is said that China has been increasing its presence in Kiribati by enhancing infrastructure, such as ports, and supplying significant economic assistance. The ministry will also open a consulate office in Noumea in New Caledonia, which is a special collectivity under French rule.