Pacific Islands Forum sticks with decision to block key donors from meeting

By Kirsty Needham

SYDNEY (Reuters) -The Pacific Islands bloc did not overturn a decision to exclude 21 donor countries, including the United States and China, from the region's top political meeting after a lengthy debate, officials said.

Pacific Islands Forum foreign ministers met in Fiji, holding "robust discussion" over the decision made by Solomon Islands as the host of next month's leaders meeting, Tonga's Foreign Minister, Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala, told reporters.

"We will engage more closely with partners in the months to come," he added.

Solomon Islands made the decision after pressure from China to block Taiwan's participation, Pacific officials and politicians said last week.

"It is more important than ever that the region stands together and sets our own agenda – rather than being pressured or even dictated to by external influences," New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement on Thursday.

China's ambassador to New Zealand, Wang Xiaolong, wrote on social media platform X on Thursday that Beijing was not to blame.

"To suggest that we have worked to exclude ourselves for the dialogue in the Solomons this coming September just does not stack up," he wrote, adding that Taiwan "does not belong" at the meeting.

"To try to put Taiwan on par with partners of the Forum such as China, US, and others is like comparing apples and orange. It is JUST wrong," he wrote.

Taiwan said it has participated in forum meetings since 1993 as a development partner.

Three Pacific Island countries hold diplomatic ties with Taiwan and not Beijing. The United States has said it is disappointed by the move and all partners should be able to attend.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has not renounced the use of force to bring he island under its control. Taiwan strongly objects to the sovereignty claims and says only the island's people can decide their future.

(Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney and Liz Lee in Beijing; Additional reporting by Lucy Craymer in Wellington and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Kate Mayberry)