General

It is reported that Chinese State Councilor and foreign minister Wangyi is paying a 10 day visit to Pacific island countries. The Samoan authorities confirmed in a press release on the 28th that Samoan prime minister and foreign minister FIAM é held a meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussed climate change, the COVID-19 and peace and security.

The press release said that China would continue to provide infrastructure development support to Samoa, and that the two sides would continue to seek to strengthen cooperation to achieve common interests and commitments. It is reported that the Chinese delegation has previously visited Solomon Islands and Kiribati. After visiting Samoa, they will leave for Fiji, and are expected to visit Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste.

It is reported that in this battle for influence, Australia's new Foreign Minister Huang Yingxian recently visited Fiji to seek to win over Pacific island countries. Last month, Solomon Islands and China signed an intergovernmental framework agreement on security cooperation, which surprised Canberra. The region is regarded as vital to the interests of the United States and its allies, and the aforementioned draft and plan will enable China to have a greater security footprint in the region.

It is reported that in order to contain the rising China in India and the Pacific, the "Quartet security dialogue" composed of Japan, the United States, Australia and India held a summit in Tokyo on the 24th. Australian Prime Minister Albanese, who has just taken office, said that China is seeking to play a stronger role in the Pacific.