Last week, China and Tonga signed a framework agreement committing to a deeper economic partnership, marking the latest progress in Beijing’s strategy to deepen ties with Pacific Island nations.

Earlier this month, the long-awaited China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement entered into force.

Last month, China's General Administration of Customs issued the following regulatory requirements, opening its door for more fruit, meat and seafood from Latin American, Caribbean, Asian and Pacific countries, as they push for more access to the Chinese market.

Last week, the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Indo-Pacific subcommittee held a hearing on "Renewed U.S. Engagement in the Pacific: Assessing the Importance of the Pacific Islands," with members of Congress asking questions of several Biden administration officials.

China's customs agency recently released guidelines for imports of edible aquatic animals from Papua New Guinea (PNG), as China becomes one of the world’s largest importers and exporters of aquatic products.

China's customs agency announced new guidelines for imports of wild aquatic products from Papua New Guinea. This announcement opens the door to more aquatic products from the Pacific country, which are also likely to be helped by the lifting of COVID-related import restrictions that had largely curbed seafood

Last week, the Solomon Islands government announced that it had signed a contract with Huawei for the construction of mobile communications towers, with US$66 million in funding for the deal coming from China's Exim Bank.