Pacific Leaders Tighten Forum Rules Amid Accusations of China Meddling

Pacific Island leaders agreed Friday on a new framework allowing countries to join the region’s key summit as “strategic partners,” after accusations that China was influencing decision-making, Ben Strang reported for Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The 18-member Pacific Islands Forum wrapped up in the Solomon Islands after closed-door talks focused on “dialogue partners” who were controversially barred from attending this year.

The summit, typically attended by dozens of observers and partners, excluded most external participants—a move widely seen as orchestrated by Honiara under Beijing’s influence to shut out Taiwan.

The decision has unsettled fellow Pacific nations, three of which—Marshall Islands, Palau, and Tuvalu—still recognize Taipei. China, which signed a secretive 2022 security pact with the Solomon Islands, is considered one of Honiara’s closest allies in the region.

Officials told AFP that the dialogue-partners issue dominated the talks.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters warned last month it was “obvious” that outside forces were interfering. Peters, along with Australia’s Penny Wong and others, cautioned that barring traditional partners could put external aid to the Pacific at risk.