NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga -- The Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting kicked off on Monday in Tonga, bringing together leaders of the 18 members of Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and the body's dialogue partners for a week of meetings on issues including responses to climate change and the China-U.S. battle for influence over the strategic region.
Mark Brown, outgoing chairman and prime minister of the Cook Islands, will hand leadership to Tongan Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni, whose government scrambled to get the capital Nuku'alofa ready for the more than 1,000 expected participants.
