China hosted a separate political dialogue with Pacific island countries on the same day Pacific Island Forum leaders met and agreed to resolve security issues within "the family", highlighting rising geopolitical competition in the region.
The Chinese embassy in the Fijiian capital Suva tweeted a photograph of the event, hosted by the Chinese Communist Party's international department in Beijing. Participants attended the meeting either in person or by video link, and the embassy noted that Fiji's defence minister attended by video.
