Nikkei reported online that Japan and Australia plan to support a fund launched by the United States for infrastructure development in the Indo-Pacific region. Australian Foreign Minister Bishop disclosed on Tuesday that the U.S., Japan, and Australia have agreed to invest in infrastructure projects in the Indo-Pacific “in recognition that more support is needed to enhance peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.” While speculating that this trilateral partnership is intended to counter China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative, the daily projected that the three nations’ foreign ministers will request support for their infrastructure development initiative when they attend the ASEAN-related conferences that will begin in Singapore tomorrow.