Pacific Islands Forum Summit opens amid 'big game'

On August 26, the Pacific Islands Forum summit opened in Tonga.

Leaders of Pacific Island countries gathered in Tonga on the opening day of the Forum on August 25. (Source: X)

The summit drew global attention to the region's climate situation and its role in ongoing power struggles.

AFP news agency quoted the forum's secretary, former President of Nauru Baron Waqa, as saying in his opening speech: "We gather at a crucial moment in the region's history. We are at the center of global geopolitical interests. We are at the forefront of the fight against climate change."

Previously, on August 21, Reuters news agency quoted a report by the Lowy Institute (Australia) stating that geopolitical shocks could disrupt the political and security landscape of the Pacific Islands, and damage the solidarity of this region.

According to the Lowy Institute report, thanks to their strategic location, Pacific island nations are considered to be of great significance in the defense plans of world powers, including monitoring and controlling naval activities across the Pacific.

Noting fierce competition for influence in the region between countries such as China, the United States and its allies Australia and Japan, the report warned that competing interests among donor countries are pushing the Pacific Islands in different directions and risk distracting from regional priorities.

“Faced with this new ‘great game’, Pacific island states have become diplomatic ‘price-setters’ and are taking advantage of growing competition (among major powers) to maximize their development gains,” the report’s authors stressed.

In addition, the vulnerability of the Pacific Islands to climate change is also being exploited, with external partners providing assistance to access the Pacific.

The Lowy Institute argues that “mobilizing naval and air assets to respond to disasters involves securing access to ports, airstrips and shipping lanes,” leaving major powers scrambling to be the first to respond.

The report said Pacific island countries are "asserting their needs more forcefully in international commitments, demanding better agreements on trade, labor mobility, digital connectivity and climate resilience".

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/thuong-dinh-dien-dan-cac-quan-dao-thai-binh-duong-khai-mac-giua-van-co-lon-283907.html