The 3rd China-Pacific Island Countries Development and Cooperation Forum opened in the Samoan capital of Apia on October 21, with Vice Premier Hu  HUAWEI TO representing the PRC. Hu Chunhua read a letter of congratulations from Xi Jinping which pledged to: (i) Deepen strategic coordination; (ii) Cooperate on Belt and Road projects; and (iii) Share development experiences.

(Comment: China has been focused on building its influence among the Pacific Islands for some time. Among its interests are: to get Taiwan’s remaining allies to switch recognition to China; get them to sign on to BRI and pave the way for Chinese military bases in a strategic part of the world. The first China-Pacific forum was held in 2006 in Fiji and the second in Guangzhou in 2013. They were attended by then-Premier Wen Jiabao and then-Vice Premier Wang Yang, respectively. According to Australia's Lowy Institute, six South Pacific governments are debtors to China: Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu. Between 2011 and 2018, China made official loan commitments to the region totaling about $6 billion, or about 21% of regional GDP.)