Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa says major decisions on policies affecting the future of island states should be channeled through the Pacific Islands Forum to strengthen its voice. 

Fiame made the comments following a 16-hour visit to Samoa last Friday by China's Foreign Minister, Wang Yi where three agreements on economic and technical cooperation, a cultural centre and a police fingerprint laboratory were signed.

The Arts and Culture Centre and the Samoa-China Friendship Park are at the last stage of construction in Apia while the police fingerprint laboratory is a new project to complement the construction of a police academy. 

Last weekend's visit to Samoa by Mr Yi made headlines around the world as it was part of a 10-day tour of eight Pacific nations that currently have diplomatic relations with China. There were fears a five-year security agreement with China was one of the agreements signed last Saturday morning, before the Foreign Minister's departure for Fiji. 

Prime Minister Fiame, in a press conference Monday night, told local media there was not enough time to review the Beijing-sponsored plans during the visit and the Samoa Government will not make hasty decisions in the absence of discussions by Pacific Islands Forum leaders. 

She also criticised the manner in which the region's bigger countries took sudden interest in the Pacific, due to the Solomon Islands' recent signing of a security agreement with China, but overlooked Samoa's views in similar discussions in the past.

For Samoa, Prime Minister Fiame emphasised that its position from the previous year remains unchanged, that in order for the Pacific block to be heard they have to have dialogue on major decisions at the leaders forum platform. 

“From observation the power nations want our views as the region yet approach the islands individually preventing the opportunity for the Pacific to consult together,” Fiame said Monday night.

“We have very small opportunities where we have the advantage and our advantage is when our views are combined together to represent the Pacific.” 

In April the Solomon Islands signed a security agreement with China days before the U.S. Secretary of State was due to visit the Pacific nation in an attempt to foil the controversial pact. 

According to Fiame since the Solomon Islands-China signing, New Zealand, Australia and U.S. have insisted for Samoa to speak to the Solomon about the ‘concerns’ they had. 

She noted there are Pacific Islands states that talked to Solomon Islands, but Samoa is determined to  in its position that there needs to be a general discussion in the Pacific on security. 

Fiame who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs said  Samoa’s response is issues on security can be addressed through policies, treaties and frameworks that already exist in the Pacific Island Forums. 

She said that concerns about security in the Pacific are not new and such instability in the Solomon islands activated the RAMSI operation to respond. 

Furthermore, Fiame said Samoa will not take sides reminding that it has been in bilateral partnership with the powerful nations for a long time and is not new.

She said the shifting of interest to the Pacific by the powerful nations is due to their search for alliances.  

Fiame noted that while there is tension and interest over the events unfolding in Solomon Islands with China, she said this was not the same case during discussions on similar international security pact.

She then referred to AUKUS – a trilateral security pact between Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. and the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) between Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. – with its proponents not seeking the views of Pacific Island nations.

“There are times they want to talk and there are times when they look pass us on such matters,” said Fiame. 

“My own perspective as a leader we have been in bilateral partnership with these nations for a long time and we stand neutral. 

“Our partnership [with power nations] depends on discussions from time to time…”

She then emphasised that in order for the Pacific region to take steps to be on top of these geopolitical developments, the region should unified and speaking as one voice.