Wong appeals to Pacific neighbors ahead of forum

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Tuesday urged Pacific Island neighbors to unite on their shared challenges of strategic competition, climate change and COVID-19.Wong addressed reporters in the Fiji's capital Suva before a leaders' summit of the Pacific Islands Forum.

Penny Wong, Australian Foreign Minister said "The membership of the PIF is clear in Australia and others are members of the PIF and others are not. So, it's unsurprising that members of the Pacific Islands Forum would meet together. I've made comments before about China. We think in relation to Pacific security that members of the Pacific family are capable of providing that security. And we think that Pacific unity is important as we navigate a world where we confront climate, COVID and strategic competition."

Australia and New Zealand are the wealthiest forum nations and share a concern over a security pact signed this year between China and the Solomon Islands