Wang Yi visited the Solomon Islands on Thursday and also made a stop at the remote island nation, Kiribati, on Friday.

He will travel to several other South Pacific island countries over the next few days including Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste. The trip is a lead-up to the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers’ Meeting which China will host in Fiji. 

We begin with this report from CGTN’s Wang Cong.

Joining the discussion:

• Einar Tangen is a Political and Economic Affairs Commentator.
• Neysun Mahboubi is a Research Scholar at the Center for the Study of Contemporary China at the University of Pennsylvania.
• Josef Gregory Mahoney is a Professor of Politics and International Relations at East China Normal University in Shanghai.
• Chidanand Rajghatta is a Foreign Editor and U.S Bureau Chief of the Times of India.

Chinese FM Wang Yi visited #Kiribati on Fri, injecting more firmness to Kiribati for its historical decision to develop ties with #China on the basis of recognizing the one-China principle. https://t.co/XGDkKbnnkw

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) May 27, 2022

🇸🇧Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and visiting 🇨🇳Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday expressed willingness to forge "iron-clad" ties and deepen cooperation between the two countries. (Xinhua) pic.twitter.com/nlsv1Waumc

— Chinese Embassy in Switzerland (@ChinaEmbinCH) May 27, 2022

By spreading disinformation and smearing China’s domestic and foreign policies, the real motive of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s address outlining the US policy toward China is to maintain US hegemony. pic.twitter.com/LfCbxa1EUz

— Spokesperson发言人办公室 (@MFA_China) May 27, 2022