Pacific Forum’s Planned Visit to New Caledonia Stumbles Amid Concerns of CCP Influence

Pacific leaders had planned a fact-finding mission to New Caledonia but say they were obstructed by France, which the French Ambassador denies.

French armed forces attend a ceremony for the national holiday Bastille Day at the war memorial on Place Bir Hakeim in the capital of the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia, in Noumea, on July 14, 2024. (Photo by Delphine MAYEUR / AFP) Photo by DELPHINE MAYEUR/AFP via Getty Images

Leaders hoping to visit New Caledonia before the Pacific Islands Forum meeting this week were forced to cancel the trip after they could not agree on terms with the French government.

The delegation was requested by New Caledonia’s President Louis Mapou, who wanted fellow Pacific leaders to be able to assess the aftermath of months of violence in the French territory after a law change in Paris was met with violent protest by the indigenous Kanak population.