On May 28 and 29, senior representatives from 11 Pacific Island countries—including Kiribati President Taneti Maamau, Niue Prime Minister Dalton Tagelagi, and a representative from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat—traveled to China for the third China–Pacific Island Countries (PICs) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. This conference, chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, provided China with the opportunity to pursue two main objectives: firstly, to further normalize its engagement with the region and promote Chinese priorities such as opposition to Taiwan independence; secondly, to present itself as a positive alternative to the United States—especially on climate and trade, two top priorities for the Pacific. These critical questions will examine the outcomes of this foreign ministerial, its significance, and how this event fits into the broader arc of Chinese engagement in the Pacific.

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