TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The mayor of the small Japanese island of Yonaguni wants to form an economic region with Taiwan, reports said Tuesday (June 25).

The island, part of Okinawa Prefecture, is located about 110 km east of Taiwan. Chinese threats have focused added attention on the island, with United States Ambassador to Tokyo Rahm Emanuel visiting it for the first time last month.

Mayor Itokazu Kenichi handed a petition to the central government asking for assistance in expanding the airport and building a new harbor, the Liberty Times reported. He also expressed the hope that Yonaguni and Taiwan could cooperate as one economic region.

Itokazu told Japan’s central government that he wanted the island to be more than just a military base for the Self-Defense Forces, but that it should also benefit from economic development. He handed his petition to Jimi Hanako, the minister of state for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs, during a meeting on Monday (June 24).

She responded that both Yonaguni’s harbor and airport amounted to crucial infrastructure. The central government would consider their condition and make necessary adjustments, she told the mayor.