Asahi wrote from Jakarta that Foreign Minister Kono held a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart yesterday and offered 2.5 billion yen in grant-in-aid for the development of six remote islands on the southern edge of the South China Sea where a large number of Chinese trawlers have long engaged in illegal fishing. The Indonesian official reportedly welcomed Japan’s assistance by saying that a bilateral strategic partnership will contribute to ensuring regional stability. The two ministers agreed to convene a bilateral 2+2 foreign and defense ministerial meeting in Japan later this year.