Leaders missing and China ‘furious’: the Pacific Islands forum off to a decidedly shaky start

The annual Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting is underway in Palau, and already there has been controversy. First, it’s a leaders meeting with a distinct lack of leaders. Second, China is reportedly furious that Taiwan is represented at the meeting in its own right. The fact the leaders of five of the forum’s 18 members are absent – Kiribati, Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa and Solomon Islands – has raised questions about China’s role in their withdrawal. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston…