China pledges climate support for Pacific Island Nations amid rising regional influence

China has pledged stronger support to Pacific Island nations in combating climate change, offering new investments and infrastructure projects, as it looks to expand its regional influence while U.S. aid remains stalled.

China will step up its support to Pacific Island nations in addressing climate change, Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced during a summit held in Xiamen on Wednesday, according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Wang pledged that China—the world’s second-largest economy and largest bilateral lender—will launch 100 "small but beautiful" projects in countries with diplomatic ties to Beijing over the next three years. The projects are part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure strategy championed by President Xi Jinping.

In addition, China will invest $2 million in Pacific nations to develop clean energy, enhance fisheries and ocean sustainability, build low-carbon infrastructure, and promote eco-friendly tourism. While the amount is modest, it reflects a broader reduction in Chinese overseas lending amid the country’s slowing $19 trillion economy.

"China fully recognises the vulnerability of the economic and social development of the Pacific Island countries in the face of the climate change crisis," the foreign ministry’s statement said.

The announcement comes as U.S. aid programs in the region remain frozen and several Pacific nations contend with steep U.S. tariffs. China’s move is seen as part of a renewed effort to bolster its strategic and diplomatic presence in the Pacific, a region increasingly caught in the geopolitical rivalry between Beijing and Washington.

Beijing’s latest commitments aim to strengthen cooperation in climate adaptation and sustainable development—key concerns for low-lying Pacific Island states that face existential threats from rising sea levels and extreme weather.

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