The Solomon Islands has announced that 21 donor and dialogue partner countries, including the United States, China, and Taiwan, will not be invited to this year’s Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting, set to take place in September in Honiara. Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele stated that the decision was made because a review of each country’s diplomatic relationship with the Pacific region has not been completed. The move follows reported pressure from Beijing to exclude Taiwan from the gathering.
Opposition leader Peter Kenilorea Jr. strongly criticized the move, calling it a massive missed opportunity for Pacific nations to engage with major global donors. He accused the government of making the decision based on the China–Taiwan issue rather than regional interests.
Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine, whose nation is a Taiwan ally, expressed concerns over the Forum’s unity. She recalled an earlier incident where China altered a summit communique to remove references to Taiwan, warning that such interference could undermine the organization’s integrity.
While the 21 countries will not participate, multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and select civil society groups will still attend the meeting.
The decision underscores the Solomon Islands’ strengthening ties with China, a shift that began in 2019 when it switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing. It also reflects the ongoing strategic competition between the United States and China in the Pacific, where nations face significant challenges including reliance on foreign aid and climate change threats.
Regional divisions have also surfaced in other forums. The Melanesian Spearhead Group has delayed adopting a joint maritime security strategy, amid differences shaped by members’ varying relationships with China and Western partners.
Foreign ministers from Pacific nations are scheduled to meet in Fiji next week, where the role of dialogue partners may be reconsidered ahead of the main leaders’ summit.