Unvarnished analysis and strategic foresight. • 183 articles

The 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau, held from 31 August to 4 September 2026, became the most contested gathering in the Forum's history. China's special envoy warned of "consequences" over Taiwan's presence. Five leaders stayed home amid accusations of foreign pressure. Beijing fired a ballistic missile into the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone weeks before the summit. The Pacific is no longer a quiet backwater in the China-Taiwan contest.

On 27 August 2026, the Philippines and the United Kingdom opened formal negotiations for a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement - the latest in a series of troop access deals Manila has struck with Western and like-minded powers since 2023. The UK move is not an isolated bilateral story.