{"id":83389,"date":"2026-08-30T13:00:37","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T13:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/83389\/"},"modified":"2026-08-30T13:00:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T13:00:37","slug":"pif-summit-rocked-by-solomons-pm-exit-and-leader-no-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/83389\/","title":{"rendered":"PIF Summit rocked by Solomons PM exit and leader no-shows"},"content":{"rendered":"

Preparations for this week\u2019s \u00adPacific Islands Forum summit in Palau have been rocked by the sudden departure of Solomon \u00adIslands Prime Minister Matthew Wale<\/a> to defend a challenge to his leadership, and concerns up to four other leaders will stay away.<\/p>\n

Mr Wale jumped on a flight back to Honiara on Sunday after Home Affairs Minister \u00adManasseh Maelanga lodged a no-confidence motion against him, days after his government began negotiating a new bilateral treaty<\/a> with Australia.<\/p>\n

The Solomons leader was to spearhead a push at the summit for a region-wide security agreement sidelining China. <\/p>\n

As Taiwan\u2019s attendance at this year\u2019s PIF stokes anger in Beijing, it\u2019s understood Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat and Samoa Prime Minister La\u2019auli Leuatea Schmidt will join Kiribati President Taneti Maamau as Palau no-shows, while Fiji Prime Minister Siti\u00adveni Rabuka was yet to confirm.<\/p>\n

Anthony Albanese is due to arrive on Monday at the summit, where security issues and climate change are set to dominate the agenda. <\/p>\n

Mr Maelanga accused Mr Wale \u2013 who became Prime Minister three months ago after a no-confidence vote against his predecessor \u2013 of making unilateral decisions without adequate consultation and of failing to take key matters through cabinet.<\/p>\n

The Solomon Islands minister was one of Mr Wale\u2019s main rivals for the leadership and served as deputy prime minister in 2019-24 under then pro-China leader \u00adManasseh Sogavare.<\/p>\n

A source familiar with the matter said: \u201cThis is China. They are deeply worried about the treaty with Australia. This is the inevitable pushback.\u201d<\/p>\n

The same source said China had \u201cdefinitely been running a campaign to get leaders not to \u00adattend\u201d this year\u2019s PIF leaders summit. \u201cIt\u2019s not about the agenda. It\u2019s about Taiwan and Palau,\u201d the person said.<\/p>\n

Mr Albanese on Sunday said the PIF meeting would consider \u201cissues crucial to the security and prosperity of all nations in our region\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur engagement in the PIF, the Pacific Islands, and our contributions to the infrastructure, regional security and climate action of the region matter more than ever before,\u201d he told the Queensland ALP conference.<\/p>\n

Australia goes into this year\u2019s summit on a high, after signing a bilateral defence treaty with Fiji<\/a> and a hard-won agreement with Vanuatu<\/a>, on top of an earlier alliance with PNG <\/a>and a $600m deal for a PNG NRL team<\/a>. It has also signed treaties with Nauru and Tuvalu.<\/p>\n

Pacific Affairs Minister Pat Conroy, who will attend the summit along with Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen, said the agreements made Australia \u201csafer and more secure\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve made no secret of the fact we\u2019re in a permanent state of contest in the region for influence to be the partner of choice,\u201d he said, in a veiled reference to the government\u2019s efforts to keep China at bay.<\/p>\n

Fiji last week said its PIF delegation would be led by Foreign Affairs Minister Sakiasi Ditoka, but Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr said Mr Rabuka might still attend the forum\u2019s leaders retreat on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Sources said Mr Napat would skip the meeting, while Samoa\u2019s Prime Minister would be absent because of health issues.<\/p>\n

Mr Maamau \u2013 one of the region\u2019s most pro-China leaders \u2013 pulled out of the summit last week, sending his Foreign Service director, David Teaabo, in his place. Mr Teaabo was until recently Kiribati\u2019s ambassador in Beijing.<\/p>\n

The withdrawals come after the PIF was unable to agree on a joint statement condemning China\u2019s nuclear-capable missile test in the Pacific in July, with Nauru and Kiribati refusing to sign on. Taiwan, blocked from attending last year\u2019s summit in Solomon Islands, has sent Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung to attend the summit in Palau \u2013 one of just three Pacific nations that maintain diplomatic ties with the self-governed island.<\/p>\n

Mr Whipps said his country had already faced threats from Beijing over Taiwan\u2019s attendance, with a campaign on Chinese \u00adsocial media painting Palau as an \u201cunsafe place to visit\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a true statement, but they said if Taiwan comes then \u2026 these are things that will happen. It shouldn\u2019t be that way because we\u2019ve made it clear from the beginning that Taiwan is a development partner, China is a dialogue partner. We welcome all partners to come to Palau,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe Pacific is our home, not a theatre for geopolitical competition. We welcome partnerships that respect our sovereignty, protect our ocean and natural resources, and deliver real benefits for a peaceful, prosperous and resilient Pacific.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said Taiwan had been a \u201ctrue partner\u201d since Palau established diplomatic relations with the island in 1999. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat is our sovereign decision, not (China\u2019s) decision,\u201d Mr Whipps said.<\/p>\n

At the same time, he suggested Beijing was linked to the trafficking of drugs in the region. \u201cWe now have 13 Chinese in prison in Palau, and it\u2019s almost like do they want to overwhelm our prison to keep on sending more of these people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Anna Powles, from New Zealand\u2019s Massey University, said Taiwan\u2019s presence in Palau was \u201ca direct affront to Beijing, which has objected strongly and will likely to continue to do so\u201d.<\/p>\n

She said PIF summits were becoming dominated by geopolitical contestation by non-forum members. \u201cIt is critical the PIF develop guardrails to better manage these dynamics,\u201d Dr Powles said.<\/p>\n

She added that the absence of regional leaders from the meeting was \u201cdeeply disappointing for hosts Palau and for regionalism itself, which is being undermined by geopolitics and national interest\u201d.<\/p>\n

Beijing has sent its Special Envoy for Pacific Island Countries, Qian Bo, to Palau for the summit. In 2024, Mr Qian demanded the PIF final communique be amended after it affirmed Taiwan\u2019s status as an ongoing \u201cdevelopment partner\u201d.<\/p>\n

The US will be represented at the summit by Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. He will be accompanied by US Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday and US Pacific Command Deputy Commander Lieutenant General George Rowell.<\/p>\n

Read related topics:China Ties<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Preparations for this week\u2019s \u00adPacific Islands Forum summit in Palau have been rocked by the sudden departure 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