Pacific island leaders yesterday issued a call for an “ocean of peace,” urging respect for their sovereignty at a summit clouded by China’s alleged meddling and great power competition in the strategically vital region, with Taiwan’s ally Palau saying there “absolutely” had been outside interference.
After a day of largely closed-door talks in the Solomon Islands capital, Honiara, the 18 Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders endorsed a Fiji-backed push for a statement proclaiming the region’s cohesion, and its desire for peace and climate action.
A heavy police presence guarded the leaders, who met in the Friendship Hall, near the 10,000-seat National Stadium built and financed by the Chinese government. Once pot-holed roads had been repaired ahead of the gathering.
Photo: AFP
“The ‘ocean of peace’ declaration is a reclamation of our sovereignty and our shared destiny,” Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele said.
“It is a solemn vow that our seas, air and lands will never again be drawn into the vortex of great power rivalry,” he said.
Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said the declaration “will demonstrate that our region is free from militarization.”
“Emerging trends and patterns of diluting the global rule-based order is of utmost concern for small states like us,” he said.
Alongside member states — including key players Australia and New Zealand — gatherings of the Pacific Islands Forum are typically attended by dozens more countries as observers or dialogue partners.
However, the Solomon Islands has barred most of those partners from attending, sparking accusations that Honiara worked at Beijing’s behest to exclude long-time participant Taiwan.
The move prompted concern among fellow Pacific nations, of which three — the Marshall Islands, Palau and Tuvalu — are diplomatic allies of Taiwan.
On Tuesday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said that Taipei regretted its exclusion, but looked forward to next year, when Palau hosts the forum.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr said after the declaration that there had “absolutely” been outside meddling in the summit.
“We should engage and be inclusive and have all partners here,” he said.
“We shouldn’t say ‘this partner should be allowed and that partner shouldn’t be’ — everybody should be here, because in solving our challenges, we need everybody,” he said.
Taiwan and China have long vied for influence in the South Pacific, with Beijing spending hundreds of millions of dollars building sports stadiums, presidential palaces, hospitals and roads across the region.
China counts the Solomon Islands among its closest partners and backers in the South Pacific, and the two signed a secretive security pact in 2022.
Observers warned a split over China’s role in yesterday’s forum could undermine essential regional cooperation on everything from climate change to health, security and transnational crime.
New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters last month said it was “obvious” that outside forces were meddling in the summit.
NETWORK-MAPPING PROJECT: The database contains 170 detailed files of Taiwanese politicians and about 23 million records of household registration data in Taiwan China has developed a network-mapping project targeting political figures and parties in Taiwan to monitor public opinion during elections and to craft tailored influence campaigns aimed at dividing Taiwanese society, according to documents leaked by Chinese technology firm GoLaxy (中科天璣). The documents, collected by Taipei-based Doublethink Lab, showed a database was specifically created to gather detailed information on Taiwanese political figures, including their political affiliations, job histories, birthplaces, residences, education, religion and a brief biography about them. Several notable Taiwanese politicians are in the database, including President William Lai (賴清德), former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍),
RECOGNITION: Former Fijian prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry said that Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy serves as a stabilizing force in the Indo-Pacific region Taiwan can lead the unification of the Chinese people, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Polish president Lech Walesa said in Taipei yesterday, adding that as the world order is changing, peaceful discussion would find good solutions, and that the use of force and coercion would always fail. Walesa made the remarks during his keynote address at a luncheon of the Yushan Forum in Taipei, titled “Indo-Pacific Partnership Prospects: Taiwan’s Values, Technology and Resilience,” organized by the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Walesa said that he had been at the forefront of a big peaceful revolution and “if
UPGRADED MISSILE: The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is reportedly to conduct a live-fire test of the Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile on Thursday next week The US Army is planning to build new facilities to boost explosives production and strengthen its supply chain, a move aimed at addressing munitions shortages and supporting obligations to partners including Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel, Defense News reported. The army has issued a sources sought notice for a proposed Center of Excellence at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky, the report said. The facility would serve as a hub within the US industrial base for the production of key military explosives, including research department explosives (RDX) and high melting explosives (HMX), while also supporting research and development of next-generation materials. The proposed
SOUTH KOREA DISPUTE: If Seoul continues to ignore its request, Taiwan would change South Korea’s designation on its arrival cards, the foreign ministry said If South Korea does not reply appropriately to a request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, the government would take corresponding measures to change how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. Taipei has asked Seoul to change the wording. Since March 1, South Koreans who hold government-issued Alien Resident Certificates (ARC) have been identified as from “South Korea” rather than the “Republic of Korea,” the
RSS