IB2020/27 Pacific Island Leaders' Addresses to the 2020 UN General Assembly in the Context of Big Power Competition: Part Two: Special Concerns and Implications

This In Brief is the second in a two-part series on the Pacific Island leaders' speeches delivered at the 75th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in September 2020. While the first paper focused on Pacific leaders' shared concerns, part two examines the special concerns raised by some Pacific Island countries (PICs) and their relevance to regional geopolitics. In particular, this analysis will focus on China-related issues in the context of growing geopolitical competition between traditional world powers and China, including the US-China rivalry, China-Taiwan competition and the reform of the UN Security Council (UNSC).