BY IRWIN ANGIKI
Embassies of Japan and the United States have echoed shared disappointment over Solomon Islands’ decision to exclude dialogue and development partners from this year’s Forum Leaders meeting.
Solomon Islands, as chair for the 54th Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting (PIFLM), had decided to defer the post-Forum dialogue which necessitates the attendance of the 21 Forum dialogue and development partners, which include China, Japan, the US and Taiwan.
Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele announced this deferment decision in parliament on August 6, drawing push backs reported by international and regional media from some of the partners including the US and Taiwan.
Notably, China has not, with its embassies in New Zealand, Tonga and Solomon Islands reiterating China’s respect and support for Pacific Island countries’ efforts for better development.
Some Forum member countries were also reported to voice disagreement, few threatening to pull out of the one-week meeting.
Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr said while he respected Solomon Islands’ position and accepted the deferment decision, he was not happy about it, Radio New Zealand (RNZ) reported on August 19.
Samoa’s caretaker Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa told ABC Pacific on August 7 that Samoa would likely boycott the meeting.
The Guardian reported August 16 that Tuvalu’s PM Feletei Teo said his country may pull out, adding that he ‘would wait to see how other Pacific leaders respond before deciding whether or not to attend the forum’.
PNG PM James Marape told PMN he had advised PM Manele in a letter to ‘stick to the spirit of the regional architecture isolating personal bilateral preferences. Manele denied this at a local press conference on August 8.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told RNZ he would rather there were no changes to the status quo.
A US state department spokesperson said the US was ‘disappointed’ by the exclusion and supported ‘continued attendance of all PIF partners, including Taiwan, at the annual PIF Leaders Meeting’, Reuters reported on August 7.
In Island Sun’s combined interview with the US and Japan embassies on August 28, US Chargé d’affaires to Solomon Islands Dan O’Hara reiterated this:
“The United States was very disappointed by this, this decision to exclude dialogue and development partners from the PIF leaders meeting this year. We support the continued attendance of all PIF partners, including Taiwan, at the annual PIF leaders meeting as previously agreed by PIF leaders in 1992, here in Honiara.
“And all those partners, development partners and dialogue partners, Taiwan included, in line with that 1992 consensus, should be invited to participate regardless of where the PIF is hosted.
“Now, that said, as a PIF dialogue partner, the United States appreciates the important role PIF plays in setting the region’s priorities and engaging with external partners on issues of shared concern. We remain committed to engagement with the Pacific Islands and deepening our partnerships with the Pacific Islands Forum and bilaterally with the countries in the Pacific to support a free and open Indo-Pacific region. And we remain honoured to be a founding PIF dialogue partner.
“Changing status quo on partner participation in PIF raises questions about possible influences of outside partners.”
Japan’s Ambassador to Solomon Islands, His Excellency Keiichi Higuchi, echoed the sentiments, saying:
“We were also disappointed to hear that we would not be invited to the Honiara Summit. In fact, we had hotel reservation and all that. So when I reported to Tokyo that you’re not invited, they were very disappointed.
“We also believe that Taiwan should be invited, as has been done before. I’m not going to talk too much into geopolitical side of it, but we do appreciate the fact that PIF has invited Taiwan all along since 1992 communique. So that’s a disappointment.
“That said, we do respect the collective will of PIF members. So once that collective will was made to defer this dialogue meeting with dialogue partners or development partners, we respect that and we hope that unity among the PIF is not broken.
“And we look forward to contributing in the future, not in September, during the September meeting, but after the September meeting. So whatever deferred meeting, we look forward to participating in that meeting at a later stage.”
China rejects allegations
The root of the deferment saga has been blamed on geopolitics, with some commentators associating it with China’s continued attempt to isolate Taiwan diplomatically. China refers to Taiwan as its province.
Opposition MP Peter Kenilorea Jnr told parliament last month ‘this issue is all about China and Taiwan’.
Other Pacific leaders have also weighed in on this with indirect remarks blaming ‘outsiders’ for this rift.
China has refuted these allegations.
Global Times reported on August 14 that the Chinese embassy in New Zealand rejected these ‘groundless accusations’ and that ‘as a dialogue partner of PIF, China respects the Forum’s role in regional cooperation, values its relations with the PIF, and welcomes opportunities to work with PIF members and other dialogue partners how to support the development of Pacific Island developing countries under the Forum dialogue mechanism’.
Looking forward to a successful PIFLM
As of this week, all 18 PIF member countries are confirmed to participate in the PIFLM, which begins Monday next week, Sept 8-12.
Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the PIFLM, Sir Dr Jimmie Rogers made the confirmation at a talkback show on SIBC Monday this week.
Rogers said that 17 leaders have confirmed attendance, with the exception of Samoa which has just held its elections on Friday last week.
He said they are expecting feedback from Samoa this week.
Rogers however reiterated that Samoa will attend.
The Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting is the region’s peak political gathering.
The members of PIF are Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
According to the Forum website, the 21 dialogue partners are:
Canada (1989), France (1989), Japan (1989), United Kingdom (1989), United States of America (1989), People’s Republic of China (1990), European Union (1991), Republic of Korea (1995), Malaysia (1996), Philippines (1999), Indonesia (2001), India (2002), Thailand (2004), Italy (2007), Cuba (2013), Spain (2014), Türkiye (2014), Germany (2016), Chile (2021), Norway (2021) and Singapore (2021).
The five founding Dialogue Partners were Canada, France, Japan, United Kingdom and the US.
Taiwan although missing from PIF’s official list of dialogue partners is considered one especially by its three remaining diplomatic partners – Tuvalu, Palau and the Republic of Marshal Islands.
Palau is set to host next year’s 55th PIFLM.
For feedback, contact:[email protected]