When the leaders of Pacific nations, including Australia and New Zealand, meet at the annual Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), they are traditionally joined by representatives from “development partners,” including the United States, UK, and China, and “dialogue partners,” which include Taiwan.
But last year, all mention of Taiwan was erased from the final communiqué after pressure from Beijing’s special envoy for the Pacific, Qian Bo.
This year the event was held in the Solomon Islands, perhaps the strongest ally the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has in the region.
It switched its diplomatic recognition to China in 2019, and signed a secret security pact with Beijing three years later….
Pacific Island Leaders Test China’s Influence—Here’s What Happened
