China's foreign minister is promising more support from the world's second-largest economy to Pacific Island countries. The latest developments come from a summit in Beijing.
A Chinese government statement says the meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi focused on climate change. All Pacific Island nations that do not recognize Taiwan attended the summit.
China says it will take part in 100 "small but beautiful" projects across Pacific Island countries with whom it has diplomatic ties over the next three years.
Wang was referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping's "Belt and Road" infrastructure initiative. The program is a global development strategy adopted by China in 2013 to invest in more than 150 countries and international organizations.
The government statement also says China will invest $2 million in the island nations' clean energy, fisheries, oceans, low-carbon infrastructure and tourism sectors. That's an amount in line with a downturn in Chinese lending as its $19 trillion economy slows down.
China's renewed push to boost its influence with Pacific Island countries comes as U.S. aid programs to the region have been frozen. Several nations have also been hit with large U.S. tariffs.
