China, the climate crisis and security concerns dominated the agenda as Pacific leaders gathered for the region’s most important annual meeting last week.
The week-long Pacific Islands Forum (Pif) in the Solomon Islands capital, Honiara, brought together Australia, New Zealand and 16 Pacific countries and territories at a time of fraught geopolitical tensions, and with accusations of outside interference in the region never far from the headlines.
Here’s everything you need to know:
China’s role in the region remains contentious
Solomon Islands is China’s biggest security ally in the region and prime minister Jeremiah Manele’s decision to block all external partners from attending this year’s summit fuelled speculation that the move was aimed at keeping Taiwan out of the meeting.
For more than 30 years, Taiwan has been deemed a “development partner” to the Pacific forum, so its exclusion – along with China and the US – became one of the key talking points of the forum.
Palau’s president, Surangel Whipps Jr, said he thought there had “absolutely” been outside meddling in the summit.
Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its territory, has been pushing Pacific leaders to strip Taiwan of its status as a partner. Last year drama erupted when the summit’s communique was altered, after the Chinese envoy demanded its language about Taiwan be scrapped.
But this year, the apparent push from China failed. After what the official communique described as a “robust exchange” on the topic, leaders agreed to new rules that would ensure the presence of partners like Taiwan at future summits.
Australia’s commitment to environment questioned as climate crisis funding green lit...
Leaders signed the landmark Pacific Resilience Facility treaty that sets up the first Pacific-led climate fund to ensure the region can prepare for natural disasters and the effects of climate change.
A decade in the making, the treaty aims address the “too little, too slow, too complicated challenges of accessing global climate financing for Pacific communities”, according to the forum. It will support small scale community projects.
While Australia has contributed $100m to the fund, many questioned its track record on emissions and reliance on coal and gas. On the sidelines of the summit, Vanuatu’s climate minister, Ralph Regenvanu, told reporters Australia’s plans to extend its controversial North West Shelf gas project could be in breach of a landmark international court of justice ruling. Regenvanu also signalled Australia’s fuel exports was a point of tension in the relationship.
Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, told reporters after the summit that Australia would act in its own interests. “[Pacific leaders] know that you can’t just flick a switch and transform an economy overnight.”
... but Canberra confirms support for Cop31 bid
Despite Pacific leaders’ continued questions, Australia confirmed support for its bid to co-host Cop31 in 2026. Palau’s president, Surangel Whipps Jr, told reporters that leaders did not want to let the “major international opportunity slip us by”, labelling it a joint bid between Australia and the Pacific.
“We want to host Cop31, we deserve to host Cop31, and – given the breadth and depth of support – it would be seen as an act of good faith if others would clear the way.”
Whipps said Pacific Island nations would work with the Albanese closely in coming weeks to bring the annual climate summit to Adelaide, the expected host city.
Leaders declare Pacific an ‘Ocean of Peace’
Leaders formally adopted the Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace Declaration, an initiative to promote a peaceful and secure region amid rising geopolitical tensions.
Fiji’s prime minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, proposed the declaration last year, saying the Pacific region had been “a theatre of the two world wars and a testing ground for the most dangerous weapons – the impacts of which are still felt today”.
During the summit this week, Rabuka said the declaration “will demonstrate that our region is free from militarisation”.
Solomon Islands’ prime minister, Jeremiah Manele, said it was “a reclamation of our sovereignty and our shared destiny”.
“It is a solemn vow that our seas, air and lands will never again be drawn into the vortex of great power rivalry.”
Australia leaves Vanuatu empty-handed, turns to Fiji
Before the summit, Albanese travelled to Vanuatu hoping to sign the Nakamal agreement with his counterpart, Jotham Napat. The deal would see Australia spend up to $500m over a decade on climate change resilience, security services and the economy.
But Albanese’s plans fell over, when Napat signalled his officials were not happy with agreement’s wording, which would have limited Vanuatu’s ability to seek infrastructure funding from other countries.
Australia’s failure to secure the long-awaited deal highlighted the difficulties traditional western partners face when it comes to holding on to influence in the Pacific, amid the rise of China.
In comments to the Guardian, a spokesperson from Napat’s office said the decision was “nothing to do with China, who have been friends with us since day one and will
continue to remain so going forward”.
On the sidelines of the forum, Australia and Fiji ramped up discussions about a security pact, with Albanese directing officials to kickstart negotiations, ABC reported.
“Preliminary discussions have been about increased security agreements or an upgrade in our security relationship,” Albanese said.
“I think we should get our officials working together to make sure we take this important relationship to the next level.”
