The leaders of five countries were absent from the Pacific Island Forum summit held in Palau.

We have taken action! Five leaders have refused to show face at the Pacific Islands Forum held in Palau, ignoring Palau's standing. According to AFP on August 31, despite calls for unity, five heads of state are expected to be absent from the summit convened in Palau this Monday. The French media reports that New Caledonia, a French territory, will not send its Chief Minister, and Vanuatu will not dispatch its Prime Minister as representative. Meanwhile, Samoa, an Oceania nation, will send a delegation led by its Deputy Prime Minister.

The head of state of Kiribati, Beijing’s close ally, will also be absent from this summit. Solomon Islands’ Prime Minister was forced to withdraw at the last minute due to domestic political crisis. Moreover, with Taiwan’s Lin Chia-lung visiting Palau on Sunday, French media claims China has declared Palau a “dangerous destination,” given that Chinese tourists make up the majority of Palau’s visitors. Clearly, we can see very clearly—certain forces are attempting to stir trouble during the time of the Pacific Islands Forum.

On one hand, these forces seek to exploit Palau as a platform to enable "Taiwan independence" elements to ride the international stage, lending support to separatist ambitions, with Palau undoubtedly taking the lead. On the other hand, following our recent test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, some forces are trying to seize on military issues to incite suspicion among Pacific Island nations toward China, aiming to assemble a so-called "united front" and foster an atmosphere of confrontation. We have responded decisively against Palau, while multiple countries are absent.

What does this indicate? It shows that many countries do not wish to get entangled in Palau’s messy affairs—either by outright absence or by attending at a reduced level—as a form of protest against Palau’s actions. These nations certainly don’t want to be used as tools to sensationalize cross-strait issues or amplify security threats. Clearly, the absence of numerous leaders has objectively diminished the political weight of this summit, foiling Palau’s attempt to leverage its hosting role to promote specific agendas.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1875037293954058/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author