Kiribati’s pro-China government bars foreign officials from visiting until 2025, citing elections

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The government of Kiribati is suspending all diplomatic visits to the tiny Pacific Island nation until next year and has cancelled some already planned, because it is in the midst of an election process that could run for several more months, an official said Thursday.

The official in Kiribati’s foreign ministry told The Associated Press that a message announcing the pause in diplomatic trips was sent earlier this week to countries that have diplomatic relations with Kiribati — a low-lying atoll of 120,000 people.

It follows escalating friction between Kiribati and Western nations — particularly Australia, a major aid donor — over the country’s deepening ties with China.

Kiribati is threatened by rising sea levels and does not command the resource wealth or tourism branding of some other Pacific islands. But its proximity to Hawaii and location in a huge ocean expanse have bolstered its strategic importance and provoked an influence skirmish between Western powers and China.

A national election was held for 44 of the 45 seats in Kiribati’s parliament this month — although the winners have yet to declare their party affiliations and it is not known which bloc will form the government. Negotiations have begun to decide the governing group, and a president will be chosen when nominees are put to a public vote, expected in October.

Officials cannot accommodate diplomatic visits until a government is formed and a president elected, ministry spokesperson Turia Tekirua said in a telephone interview. Small delegations could apply for exemptions, she added.

Some analysts said that while Kiribati’s bureaucracy is small, the suspension could reflect a desire to avoid foreign checks on its government