This year's Pacific Islands Forum, being held in the Solomon Islands, has begun with the signing of a treaty to help places vulnerable to climate disasters. It's aimed at giving affected islands faster access to funds when catastrophes strike.

Honiara

Pacific Islands leaders convened in Honiara, Solomon Islands, with climate change and security at the forefront of discussions. The meeting took place amid heightened strategic competition in the region, particularly between Australia and China, both investing heavily in infrastructure and climate initiatives.

Notably, the United States, China, and Taiwan were excluded from the forum, reportedly due to pressure from Beijing. While some Pacific nations have diverged from Australia on issues such as support for Israel, climate change remains the primary concern for the islands. Australia is seeking to strengthen its regional role through new treaties and disaster aid initiatives, aiming to counteract Beijing's growing influence and maintain stability in the Pacific.

Pacific Islands leaders meet with climate change, security on agenda

Touching down at the Solomons' only international airport, built with Australia's help, a symbol of a relationship they have come to defend. A traditional welcome at an event underscored by a growing tussle for power in the Pacific. In a time of strategic competition in our region, Australia's engagement in the Pacific Island Forum matters more than ever. Who's left out of the forum just as telling as who's in, with partners the US, China and Taiwan not invited to attend, some say because of pressure from Beijing. There's really no personal interest for Solomon Islands in doing that. That can only be read as accommodating China's preference. China and Australia, a US ally, are vying to be the Pacific nation's partner of choice, each spending hundreds of millions of dollars on infrastructure, Australia millions more on climate change policies. Australia is now also pursuing a new security treaty with Fiji as China reinforces its presence. And it's pushing into the Pacific Islands region in a way that it hadn't done before. The region hasn't been strategically contested like this since World War II. Some Pacific islands have been steadfast in their support for Israel. At the UN in June, a Gaza ceasefire passed with just 12 member states voting against, seven of them Pacific nations. While their stance sits at odds with Australia, climate change is the priority for Pacific states, described as the greatest threat to their survival. Australia's bid to co-host a climate summit, a new disaster aid treaty and an initiative to create stability in the region under the so-called Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace, all examples of that focus. And it's a way to curtail Beijing's expanding influence, one aimed at pushing back against the dominance of the US and Australia. Australia's bid to lead in the Pacific goes beyond maintaining neighbourly ties. Instability in the region reverberates here with security, border control and trade on the line. Without bigger powers like China in attendance, the Australian Prime Minister will be working hard to tip the balance in his favour. On the map, these islands may look small. In global politics, they carry a significance far larger than their shorelines. Danielle Robertson, Al Jazeera, Sydney.

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