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

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. The law would have extended voting eligibility to residents living on the island for 10 years. However, the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front opposed the move saying it could erode their chances of winning a future independence vote....