The 53rd Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting kicked off on Monday in Nuku'alofa, capital of Tonga, bringing together leaders from 18 member states to discuss collective response to regional issues during the five-day gathering.
Tonga Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni chairs the annual event this year. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the 18 member states in his opening address for their efforts to protect the seas and combat climate change.
The PIF is guided by a long-term 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, a framework focused on Pacific communities that aims to ensure the health and well-being of their peoples.
Tonga has laid out a vision for the 53rd PIF event, insisting that the Pacific must move beyond policy deliberation to implementation in order to "achieve transformation by building better now."
Founded in 1971, the PIF is the region's premier political and economic policy organization. Its leaders meet annually to develop collective responses to regional issues and deliver their vision for a resilient Pacific region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, and prosperity.
53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting kicks off in Tonga
53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting kicks off in Tonga
53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting kicks off in Tonga
China has played a pivotal role in peaceful development around the globe by strengthening China-Africa cooperation and promoting peace and security among Global South partners, said Cameroon's Defense Minister Joseph Beti Assomo during the Beijing Xiangshan Forum.
The 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum is being held in the Chinese capital from Thursday to Saturday.
With the theme of "Promoting Peace for a Shared Future," this year's forum involved more than 500 representatives from official delegations of more than 100 countries and international organizations, as well as more than 200 Chinese and foreign experts and scholars. Among them, the official delegation includes more than 30 defense ministers and military chiefs.
Prior to the Xiangshang Forum, Assomo had participated in the 2024 Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which ran from Sept 4 to 6 in Beijing. Both forums, he said in an exclusive interview with China Central Television (CCTV), have demonstrated how China creates opportunities for peace across Africa, the most critical premise for the continent's development.
"You see the theme of this event, as on the wall, 'Promoting Peace for a Shared Future', promoting peace. When there is war somewhere, development is not possible. There are many wars in Africa, so we expect more and more close cooperation between China and Africa, so that we can give peace a chance everywhere in Africa. And I think you are working in that way and you are succeeding," he said.
The defense minister stressed that more developed countries have a responsibility to help underdeveloped countries achieve common prosperity instead of creating barriers and wars.
"You have a Global South, it means we also have a Global North. So, if we can work hand-in-hand for all humanity so that those who have power, economical, political, or diplomatic power, can work hand-in-hand with those who are not developed or who are poor, so that there could be human solidarity. We have that dream, and we are doing that with China," he said.
Initiated in 2006, the Beijing Xiangshan Forum is a high-level platform dedicated to promoting exchanges and cooperation among defense authorities, armed forces, international organizations and scholars.
Dream of human solidarity forms basis for China-Global South cooperation: Cameroonian minister
