Five Absent
At least five leaders will skip the Pacific Island region's annual summit, officials said Monday, hours before the opening of talks overshadowed by Taiwan-China tensions. The gathering aims to grapple with challenges such as climate change, drug crime, and the Chinese test-firing of a ballistic missile in July that landed in the Pacific Ocean.
China's security and economic influence has added resonance this year, because the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum is being hosted by Palau, a diplomatic ally of Taiwan. Beijing has protested against Taiwan's inclusion among aid partners invited to attend, and declared Palau an "unsafe" place for tourists.
Solomon Islands crisis
Kiribati's president will not attend. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale unexpectedly flew out of Palau on Sunday to deal with a political crisis at home after a no-confidence motion was lodged against his leadership. Wale was recently elected vowing to review a secret security pact with Beijing and repair ties with the United States and Australia. Samoa's delegation will be led by the deputy prime minister. The prime minister of Vanuatu and the head of government of New Caledonia will also skip.
"The Pacific is our home, not a theatre for geopolitical competition," Palau President Surangel Whipps said. The leaders' absence may weaken any joint Pacific statement on the Chinese missile test, said Oliver Nobetau of the Lowy Institute. "Not having these leaders there really lowers the expectation of whether or not we will see a strong statement come out of the Pacific Islands Forum," he told AFP.