Pacific leaders are being urged to guard against outside influence as the Solomon Islands moves to reshape attendance at the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum, a development that has regional partners watching closely for how solidarity and regional priorities will be balanced with global power dynamics.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters told Pacific Islands Forum leaders to tread carefully in how they engage friends and allies, urging a united approach to shaping the region’s future. He spoke ahead of the Solomon Islands-hosted Leaders’ Summit and as dialogue partners, including the United States and China, face exclusion from the talks.
The Solomon Islands government has announced that 21 donor countries will not be invited to the meeting. This includes some of the Forum’s traditional heavyweights, such as the United States and China, a move seen by many as a sovereign decision aimed at sharpening the regional agenda. Taiwan’s representatives were also denied visas, prompting questions about how inclusive the Forum will remain as external powers press their own interests.
New Zealand’s Peters did not mince words about Beijing’s influence in the Solomon Islands’ decision-making. In remarks made during an interview before the Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Suva, he said there was “outside influence and pressure” involved and warned that excluding long-standing partners could constrain the Forum’s ability to operate effectively on shared projects. He argued that cutting out core partners risks undermining multi-country funded initiatives and the region’s broader development goals.
Despite the exclusions, Peters noted that institutions like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, along with civil society groups, are not automatically affected. Still, he warned that removing trusted partners could jeopardize vital support for Pacific projects and trust in the Forum as a cooperative platform.
Peters framed the issue in terms of regional unity and the need to keep economic development at the heart of Forum discussions, drawing on lessons from past regional rifts, including the Micronesian split in 2021. He emphasized that “we’ve got to get alongside each other” and work toward practical, Pacific-led outcomes, with the Forum and its decisions staying central to the process.
The tensions extend to New Zealand’s own relationship with the Cook Islands, described by Peters as a “family dispute” over consultation around Rarotonga’s agreement with China. He stressed that consultation is a key element of the special relationship between New Zealand and the Cook Islands and reiterated New Zealand’s long-running support, including significant assistance to the Cook Islands—approximately $192 million in the past three years, covering healthcare, pensions, and passports. Peters called for reciprocity and mutual respect among Pacific peoples rather than paternalistic approaches.
Peters plans to join regional counterparts in Suva for the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, underscoring his view that this week’s discussions should reaffirm Pacific-led decision-making ahead of the Leaders’ Meeting in Honiara. He described the Suva gathering as an opportunity to address both external and internal pressures that could threaten regional unity and to keep the Forum focused on tangible, practical outcomes. He urged a shared commitment to the Pacific Islands Forum as the central hub for regional cooperation and to advancing projects that benefit all member nations, the Blue Continent he often references.
What this means for the region
– The Solomon Islands’ stance highlights a shift in regional diplomacy tied to broader geopolitical currents, particularly U.S.-China competition and Beijing’s growing influence in the region.
– A key test will be whether Pacific leaders can maintain inclusive dialogue and shared priorities on climate resilience, sustainable development, and security, even as attendance is narrowed.
– The balance between sovereignty and regional solidarity will be closely watched, with many observers hoping for a stronger, more outcome-focused Pacific Islands Forum that can weather external pressures while advancing the region’s own development agenda.
Value-added context
– The Pacific Islands Forum has long prided itself on the “Pacific Way” of consensus and mutual respect. How leaders navigate inclusion versus selective participation will shape the Forum’s credibility and effectiveness in addressing climate finance, resilience, and development.
– While Taiwan’s participation remains a live debate in many member states, broader questions about maintaining inclusive dialogue with diverse partners will influence the Forum’s ability to mobilize support for regional priorities.
Outlook
– There is cautious optimism that Pacific leaders can reaffirm the Forum’s core goals—climate resilience, sustainable development, and regional security—while engaging a diversified set of partners in a way that respects regional sovereignty and common interests.
– If the region can keep dialogue open, emphasize practical cooperation, and stay true to its core values, the Forum could emerge stronger and more capable of delivering tangible benefits to Pacific peoples.
Overall, the moment tests the Pacific’s commitment to unity in the face of external pressures. By prioritizing inclusive, region-led solutions and maintaining a focus on shared priorities, leaders may reinforce the Forum’s legitimacy and accelerate progress on pressing regional challenges.
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