During the four-day meeting, Pacific island leaders will discuss how to garner more international support and funding to combat the effects of sea level rise and climate change, as well as China’s ambitions for greater security ties in the whole area. An effort by Beijing to sign a broader regional trade and security agreement with 10 nations that recognize China but are opposed by some members of the forum will also be discussed. read more Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Tuvalu’s foreign minister, Simon Kofe, said in an interview that he was saddened by the news of Kiribati’s withdrawal and that Pacific leaders should “consider the concerns raised by Kiribati” when they meet this week. Kiribati President Taneti Maamau said in a letter that his country will withdraw from the forum because it does not agree with Secretary-General Henry Puna continuing in his role, nor other terms of a deal he brokered weeks ago to resolve a rift between the states of Micronesia and other members. . Kiribati also wanted the meeting delayed. Also being discussed by Pacific leaders is fishing — tuna is a major source of revenue in the region — but the issue also risks becoming mired in geopolitical tensions, Coffey said. China has a large fishing fleet in the Pacific and is seeking greater access to one of the world’s richest fishing grounds. The Quad Group of the United States, Japan, Australia and India have offered Pacific islands increased surveillance to stop illegal fishing in exclusive economic zones. “This geopolitical competition will continue and it is important that the Pacific focuses on the issues that are critical to the Pacific – climate change and conserving our resources,” Coffey said. The United States wants to expand a Pacific fisheries treaty to cover “other security issues,” he said, and that will be discussed at the forum. A meeting of key leaders of the forum will be held on Thursday. China had proposed a video meeting between the international office of the Chinese Communist Party and 10 Pacific islands on the same day. Tuvalu is among four Pacific nations that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan and not Beijing. Kofe pulled out of a recent United Nations ocean conference in Lisbon after China banned Taiwanese members included in Tuvalu’s delegation. He said these are “intimidation tactics” by China. read more However, Kofe said Tuvalu does not want differences between China and Taiwan to distract the Pacific islanders from what is uniting all nations in the region this week. “Maintaining the unity and solidarity of the Pacific family is critical to being able to resolve many of these issues we face,” he said. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Kirsty Needham. Edited by Stephen Coates and Raju Gopalakrishnan Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
