Introduction

In early August, Solomon Islands’ Prime Minister - and current Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Chair - Jeremiah Manele announced his decision to exclude nearly two dozen countries from the 54th PIF Leaders Meeting, scheduled for September 2025. In a public statement,  Manele expressed that the decision “requires a sacrifice, including foregoing special guest invitations”, despite this, he insisted that “it is necessary to [...] protect our sovereignty and strengthen our collective voice globally.”

The Pacific Islands Forum has played an essential role in building regional cooperation and dialogue in the Pacific region. Prime Minister Manele’s decision will exclude several Forum Dialogue Partners (FDPs), including the United States, China, and Taiwan, marking an unusual departure from its past meetings, with all the previous 53 having included dialogue or donor partners. The decision has sparked significant debate and concern among both regional and international stakeholders. 

The move comes only three years after the forum weathered another rupture, where nearly one-third of member nations, primarily the Micronesian bloc withdrew after disputes surrounding the selection of the forum’s Secretary General. The recent exclusion demonstrates how such divisions challenge the unity of the forum as well as its sovereignty and the strategic priorities of individual member states. 

The Decision Itself

The Solomon Islands’ move to exclude many FDPs has been largely speculated to be influenced by China, particularly, in relation to the China (People’s Republic of China) and Taiwan (also known as Republic of China) conflict. This restriction allows the forum to ‘sidestep’ a diplomatic confrontation over Taiwan. Taiwanese representatives have historically participated as supporters and development partners alongside other non-member states of the PIF. 

Moreover, even before the official announcement, Taiwanese delegates helping set up at the capital of the Solomon Islands, Honiara, were not permitted to enter, raising further questions. In practice, the leaders’ dialogue with external partners has been deferred with the next meeting being scheduled for 2026. As Manele stated, “the proposed deferment of the partners dialogue to 2026” will allow the PIF  to establish a new “tiered” system for its partners. 

While Manele has denied any external influence from Beijing saying, “We are not under pressure from any external forces," the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reports that “Several regional officials have told the ABC that Mr Manele has been under pressure from China on the issue.” The pressure also comes from the fact that at the last PIF meeting in Tonga, 2024, China’s special envoy for the Pacific, Qian Bo, expressed visible anger over Taiwan’s long-standing status as a “development partner.” Qian Bo called the wording "unacceptable" and insisted that references to Taiwan be removed from the PIF communique. 

 Solomon Islands’ Relations with China and Taiwan

The Solomon Islands have fostered strong diplomatic relations with China over the past few years. Chinese ambassador to the Solomon Islands, Cai Weiming commended Solomon Islands for firmly standing with the one-China principle. Nearly one year after officially establishing diplomatic relations, the Solomon Islands’ biggest trading partner shifted from Australia to China, accounting for more than half of its goods exports, according to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Moreover, China has played a significant part in the infrastructural development of the archipelagic state. Ambassador Weiming continued to say that China provided hundreds of Solomon Islands people with educational opportunities to study and train, and that it also sent medical teams and deployed the Peace Ark hospital ship, treating over 30,000 patients. 

Prior to 2019, the Solomon Islands maintained diplomatic ties with Taiwan for nearly four decades. Taiwan played a key role in the island state’s growth, “through infrastructure projects, educational scholarships and medical assistance,” as reported by The Diplomat. Through its active engagement with other nations, Taiwan sought to maintain international recognition amidst China’s expanding influence. The last meeting between the two, took place more than eight years ago, in April 2017 when Deputy Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, Manasseh Maelanga visited Taipei. Nevertheless, with limited competitive ability to China’s globally dominant supply chain and influence, the Solomon Islands decided to end its diplomatic relationship with Taiwan by establishing formal relations with China on 21 Sept. 2019. 

Domestic Pushback & International Response

Just three months ago, Prime Minister Manele avoided a “vote of no-confidence” from a coalition led by former Prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, garnered support from former Opposition Leader, Matthew Wale. Additionally,  Manele’s decision to exclude nearly two dozen FDPs has triggered sharp backlash. Current opposition leader, Peter Keniolera Jr said that it is “a massive missed opportunity” for Pacific Island nations to engage global donors. 

On the global stage, there have been several critical reactions. Tuvalu’s Prime Minister, Feletei Teo warned the exclusion shifts focus away from regional challenges and key issues, potentially hinting at withdrawing from the PIF unless the decision is reconsidered and reevaluated. The U.S. has expressed its disappointment over the decision, particularly in regards to not inviting Taiwan alongside other partners. A spokesperson from the Department of State said “We are disappointed by reports that the Solomon Islands has decided to exclude dialogue and development partners from the (PIF) Leaders Meeting this year," as reported by Focus Taiwan. 

New Zealand, while refraining from direct condemnation, has emphasized the necessity of “a continuation of the long-standing approach of the PIF to this issue, which allows for partners from around the world to attend the PIF and discuss regional priorities.” Australia shares a similar stance, emphasizing the importance of open dialogue and collaboration with development partners across the world. Analysts warn that the exclusion risks upsetting forum partners, potentially driving states to reconsider their position in the forum. Contrastingly, for Beijing, the move can be seen as a diplomatic ‘win’, as Taiwan’s visibility will be limited on the Pacific stage. 

Conclusion

The future of the Pacific Islands Forum remains most certainly far from stability, as Palau, an ally of Taiwan, is set to host the annual meeting next year. Whether the Forum can maintain focus and cooperation amidst climbing pressures and internal misalignments, will determine not only its credibility, but also its reputation as the Pacific’s central voice on global affairs.