The connection between Japan and the Pacific Island countries (PICs) has been established through two approaches: bilateral and regional. The Pacific Island Leaders Meeting (PALM) has become a central platform for regional policy dialogue within the latter approach.
Japan’s bilateral relations with PICs have primarily focused on fisheries relations and development cooperation since the 1960s. The relationship with the entire region began in 1981 when the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) protested against Japan’s plans to dump low-level nuclear waste into the ocean. This protest was an extension of the PIF’s establishment in 1971 as a response to French nuclear testing, reflecting the sensitivity of nuclear issues within the region.
Following the PIF protests, Japan’s then Prime Minister Nakasone Yasuhiro visited Fiji in 1985 and reassured not to go through with the dumping plan. The five principles outlined by then Foreign Minister Kuranari Tadashi, known as the Kuranari Doctrine, laid the foundation for PIC-Japan relations. Subsequently, Japan hosted its first Pacific Islands Conference in 1988 and held the 1st Pacific Island Leaders Meeting (PALM1) in 1997.
The history of PALM can be divided into three periods. The first period from PALM1 (1997) to PALM3 (2003) focused on building trust through direct dialogue between Japan and the PIC leaders.
The second period from PALM4 (2006) to PALM6 (2012) saw a shift where PICs felt the policy dialogue had become routine and were less receptive to Japan’s aid offers. This period highlighted the PICs’ push towards securing their sovereignty and independence, leading to an increased number of regional actors and a reduced value of PALM.
The third period from PALM7 (2015) to PALM9 (2021) integrated Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific initiative into PALM and focused on the rule of law in its diplomacy with PICs. PALM9 (2021) outlined tangible goals in various priority areas, evolving PALM into a platform for concrete action.
PALM10, set to be the first face-to-face meeting of PIC leaders in Japan since 2018, aims to restore the bond between Japan and the PICs while addressing regional and global challenges together. It will emphasize cooperation on key themes endorsed in the 2050 Strategy Implementation Plan and promote objective information sharing on Japan’s ALPS-treated water discharge plan.
PALM10 marks an important milestone in the relationship between Japan and the Pacific Island countries, paving the way for a lasting partnership for the future.
SHIOZAWA Hideyuki is director, Division of Island Nations of OPRI, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.