Leaders of 18 Pacific island nations and areas have come together to adopt a joint declaration at the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM) summit in Tokyo. The declaration highlights an increased role for Japan in the region's development while also expressing opposition to coercive activities.
Initiated by Japan in 1997, PALM has evolved into a crucial diplomatic tool for Japan to counter China's growing influence in the Pacific region. The leaders emphasized Japan's support and cooperation in various areas such as climate change, maritime security, defense, and economic development.
Climate change was identified as a significant threat to the Pacific region, with a commitment to enhancing collaboration to address its impacts. The declaration stressed the importance of peace, stability, and the international rules-based order.
The leaders expressed strong opposition to unilateral attempts to change the status quo through force or coercion, without explicitly naming China. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida highlighted shared values with the island leaders, including the rule of law, democracy, and opposition to forceful changes in the status quo.
Co-chairing the summit, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown praised Japan's approach of working with Pacific Island Forum members as equals to achieve the region's 2050 strategy for the Blue Pacific.
Additionally, action plans were adopted in areas such as climate resilience, disaster risk management, sustainable ocean management, economic resilience, and technology investment.
The leaders emphasized the need for the declaration to be translated into action, particularly in securing climate financing. Japan's support for infrastructure and fishing projects was announced during bilateral meetings held on the sidelines of the summit.
With concerns rising over security in the South Pacific, Japan, the United States, and regional partners like Australia and New Zealand are closely monitoring China's increasing presence in the region. Japan has underscored the importance of upholding a rules-based, free, and open international order in the face of these developments.
The summit signifies a step towards deeper collaboration between Japan and Pacific island nations, aiming to foster peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, and prosperity in the region.
