EDITORIAL | Crises That PALM10 Must Tackle: Climate and China

Japan is set to host the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) in Tokyo from July 16 to July 18. Leaders from 18 Pacific Island countries and regions are joining Japan for the gathering.

These leaders last met in person six years ago. Although the event takes place once every three years, the last meeting was held online due to COVID-19.

The South Pacific region has been increasingly lashed by destructive tropical cyclones as the surface temperature of the oceans rises due to global warming. Japan would like to further contribute to responses to the problem and boost economic development in the Pacific countries.

At the same time, it is important to maintain an acute awareness of China's behavior in the region. The area forms part of the "Second Island Chain." This is a defense line that China is seeking to establish to prevent the United States Navy from approaching Taiwan in the event of a "Taiwan emergency." Therefore, China is seeking to deepen ties with countries in the region. For leverage, it provides massive amounts of aid while simultaneously increasing its military influence.

China's Hegemonic Initiatives

In 2019 for example, the Solomon Islands and Kiribati severed ties with Taiwan and established diplomatic relations with China. So too did Nauru in January 2024.

Likewise, in April 2022 China signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands which allows China to station military forces in that country. In May of that same year, China held an online meeting with foreign ministers from the Pacific island countries. During the meeting, President Xi Jinping called for China and the PICs to join in building an "even closer China-PICS community with a shared future."

In recent years, China has been aggressively building manmade islands in the South China Sea. As soon as they are ready, it establishes military facilities on them. China has created concern as well in the South Pacific. There it has been busy constructing information and communications facilities and militarizing ports and other facilities. Allowing this to occur will have a major impact on the security environment in the region.

*PM Kishida and Palau President Whipps hold a joint press conference after their meeting, at the Prime Minister's Office on the evening of June 4th (©Kyodo)*

Sea Lanes of Commerce

The South Pacific also includes vital sea lanes that tie together Asia, the United States, and Australia. If a free and open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) is to become a reality, Japan, the US, and Australia will have to collaborate to prevent China from further expanding its influence in the South Pacific.

A February ministerial meeting was held to prepare for this week's summit meeting. In the outcome document, the chair's summary included language that obviously had China in mind. It stated, "We strongly oppose any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo through the use of force."

The declaration from the leaders' meeting this week should also state this clearly. It needs to show that leaders of the region share a common crisis mentality concerning China.

Important Initiatives

To respond to China's moves, in February 2023 the US announced that it would be opening an embassy in the Solomon Islands. Then in May of that year, the US signed a defense cooperation agreement with Papua New Guinea. Among other things, it allows joint use of that nation's naval bases, airports, and ports.

One way Japan has been supporting the Pacific island countries is by dispatching Self-Defense Force and Coast Guard personnel. They have been assisting in improving their capabilities in such areas as maritime law and disaster relief. We should redouble these efforts.

(Read the editorial in Japanese.)

Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun