Parker Novak
From August 26 to 30, Pacific Islands leaders are gathering for the annual Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting, taking place in Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa. Several pressing issues will be up for discussion: climate change, debanking, and the New Caledonia crisis, among others. In keeping with the “Pacific Way,” member states are entering the summit with the intent of coming to a consensus on how to best tackle these challenges.
Multilateral fora such as PIF—and the high-level meetings that come along with them—are part and parcel of regional affairs, as they create mechanisms through which Pacific Islands countries band together to increase their influence in international politics. This is especially important when considering the small scale of many countries in the region, which limits their ability to gain traction individually. By coming together, they find strength in numbers.
Geopolitics is looming large as this year’s confab approaches. In recent years, outside powers’ interest in this vast maritime region has markedly increased, mainly due to its geographic relevance to the growing geopolitical rivalry in the Indo-Pacific between the United States and China. The interests of their respective allies and partners have grown, too. And while other issues may be no less important, geopolitics has garnered the headlines.
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