Tokyo is sending a vice foreign minister to the Solomon Islands.

Vice Foreign Minister Kentaro Uesugi’s three-day trip to Solomon Islands that started on Monday comes on the heels of a visit by a senior U.S. delegation, who warned that Washington would take unspecified action against the South Pacific nation should the security deal with China pose a threat to U.S. or allied interests.

The security pact, which China and the Solomons confirmed last week, has also alarmed neighboring countries and Western allies, including Japan, that fear a military buildup in the region.

We believe the deal could affect the security of the entire Asia-Pacific region and we are watching the development with concern, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Friday.

Mr.Uesugi, during his visit to the Solomon Islands, is expected to convey Japan’s concern about the security pact and discuss bilateral and regional issues.

Japan sees China’s increasingly assertive military activity in the East and South China seas as a threat in some of the world’s busiest sea lanes.