By Pesi Fonua

THE opening of the new Japanese Embassy in Nuku'alofa on January 1 added a new member to the small diplomatic community in Tonga.

When the new ambassador arrives to present his credentials to the king, Tonga will then have two resident ambassadors, of China and Japan, and two High Commissioners, of Australia and New Zealand.

The move by the Japanese fills a gap that was left by the British when they closed down their diplomatic mission in Tonga in March 2006, and it is a step forward in line with the Tonga government's "Look East" foreign policy.

Tonga and Japan established diplomatic relations in 1970, and over the years there has been a warm relationship between the Japanese Imperial House and the Tongan Royal family. Crown Prince Naruhito has been to Tonga three times, t most recently last August to attend the Coronation of King George Tupou V.

In the area of trade, since 1982 Tonga has been steadily importing many used cars from Japan, and during the 1990s Japan was the sole market for Tongan squash pumpkin.

Japanese aid to Tonga is noticeable and has had a high impact on the life of the community. The Japanese have built high schools, primary schools, hospitals, and villages water supplies. Expected to arrive at the end of the year is a new inter-islands ferry for Tonga. Japan also sends volunteers to work in the community, in schools, hospitals and in areas where there are needs for special technical expertise.

Despite the good relations between the two countries, Tonga's ban on whaling and anti-whaling stance remains in place.

The whaling program of the Japanese government has stirred up a lot of anti-Japanese sentiment in western countries, particularly with Tonga's other friends in the region Australia and New Zealand.

The other issues that has caused some Japanese diplomats to raise their eyebrows was when Tonga alone in the South Pacific Forum Island countries did not support Japan in its attempt to become a member of the UN Security Council, and instead Tonga gave China its vote.

Japan's few embassies in the South Pacific support diplomatic relations with many countries in the region. Choosing Tonga as the location for its newest embassy and with a resident Japanese ambassador in Nuku'alofa, the relationship between the two countries can only get better.