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3w ago

Solomon Islands Excludes US, China and Taiwan From Pacific Islands Forum

Manele says he deferred the gathering pending completion of a bureaucratic overhaul of Forum engagement procedures.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele delivers a speech during a plenary session at the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), which gathers leaders, researchers and activists to discuss how to protect marine life, at the Centre des Expositions conference centre in Nice, France, June 9, 2025. REUTERS/Manon Cruz/File Photo
man with very short hair wearing a light blue shirt, striped blue necktie and tailored grey collared jacket stands at mic podium
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Overview

  • Manele’s cabinet announced that none of the 21 dialogue partner countries, including the United States, China and Taiwan, will attend the PIF leaders meeting scheduled for September in Honiara.
  • The prime minister defended the exclusion as a sovereign decision to delay donor consultations until new engagement protocols are finalized through a planned bureaucratic review.
  • Opposition leader Peter Kenilorea Jr. criticised the move as a missed chance for vital development talks and linked it to Taiwan-China competition for influence.
  • Taiwan’s foreign ministry urged the Forum to maintain open attendance and said its participation supports regional peace, stability and development.
  • Key Pacific leaders and donor governments, including New Zealand and the US, have expressed unease over the exclusion of core aid partners in the face of intensifying strategic competition in the region.