Rivals try to woo the Pacific as climate change bites

Nuku’alofa has almost buckled under the pressure of all this interest. Outside one of its top hotels, where the big delegations were staying, there was a billboard looking for staff – declaring “no experience necessary – all positions”.

Inside the hotel, another notice warned that Tonga was facing a scarcity of skilled workers and therefore couldn’t service the general public during the forum.

It was a pertinent reminder of the “brain drain” that many Pacific nations face as their people head to Australia and New Zealand for a better future.

At the forum itself, Australia scored a victory quite early on when it announced a A$400m ($268m; £204m) Pacific Policing Initiative that aims to set up a police training facility in Brisbane and four centres across the Pacific. It will also train regional officers to be deployed across the region for major disasters or big events.

No sooner than the plan had been announced, it was eclipsed by a “hot mic” moment. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was caught on camera calling the deal “a cracker” in a conversation with US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. In a conversation he didn’t think was being filmed, he even joked with Mr Campbell about going “halfsies on the cost”.

It was an awkward gaffe that made it pretty clear that the policing initiative was a “win” against China’s growing influence in the region – 1-0 to Australia and its friends.

That Mr Albanese’s remarks were made in the auditorium that was built by the Chinese makes the competition all the more relevant. Chinese influence on the island is clear. Next to the auditorium is a large patch of land that holds the Royal Tombs, which has now been boarded up with big signs on the outside saying a renovation is being carried out with the help of China Aid. It’s a similar story across the Pacific.

But the conversation also backed up reservations made by Vanuatu’s Prime Minister and the head of the Melanesian Spearhead Group that the policing initiative could be seen more about cutting out China than focusing on the benefits for the Pacific Islands.