Pacific leaders to meet in Palau amid China, Taiwan tension

Pacific island leaders convene in Palau for a summit that could be overshadowed by tensions between China and Taiwan. The 18-member Pacific Islands Forum, hosted by Palau, aims to tackle transnational drug crime and other regional priorities like climate change and food security. Palau, along with three other members, maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan instead of China. China has protested Taiwan's invitation to the forum.

During the forum's inauguration ceremony, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung presented a fleet of electric buses donated by Taipei. China retaliated by declaring Palau unsafe for tourists, affecting the island's tourism-dependent economy. The US Embassy accused China of attempting to weaponize tourism to coerce Palau.

The forum provides a rare opportunity for Pacific island leaders to demonstrate policing cooperation and tackle transnational crime. Around 110 security personnel from the region will be present for the event. Australia, the biggest member and aid donor, has led efforts for Pacific-wide security, arguing against the need for China's police presence in Kiribati and the Solomon Islands.

Health concerns, such as the fastest HIV outbreak in Fiji driven by methamphetamine use, have heightened fears of a Pacific Ocean drug trafficking route. Leaders will discuss a regional maritime response to the drug crime issue. Fourteen island leaders are expected at the summit, after Kiribati and Solomon Islands faced leadership crises. US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and US Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday will visit Palau to strengthen ties before traveling to Solomon Islands and Kiribati.