Kiribati’s Pro-China President Wins Reelection for Third Term

Taneti Maamau, president of the Pacific island nation of Kiribati, speaks at the UNFCCC COP28 Climate Conference at Expo City Dubai in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Dec. 9, 2023. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Kiribati President Taneti Maamau, whose administration has focused on deepening relations with China, has been reelected for a third term in an Oct. 25 election of the low-lying Pacific island.

Maamau retained his position by securing 55 percent of the vote, defeating his closest opponent, Kaotitaake Kokoria, who received 42 percent, according to multiple reports.

Located about 1,300 miles southwest of Hawaii, Kiribati has a population of about 115,000 and is one of the world’s largest exclusive economic zones, covering an area of over 1.35 million square miles of the Pacific.

The pro-China president has led the Pacific island nation since 2016. Just days before the election, Kokoria reportedly defected from the ruling party to form his own alliance and challenge Maamau.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon congratulated Maamau on X, saying that his government looks forward to working with Kiribati “to deliver on our shared priorities.”

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong also congratulated Maamau, noting that Australia looks forward “to advancing our Tobwaan Te Reitaki partnership and further strengthening our deep and enduring ties.”

Chinese leader Xi Jinping congratulated Maamau on his reelection and expressed his readiness to work with the Kiribati president to promote “steady and long-term” bilateral relations between their countries.

Xi said that China and Kiribati are “good friends” who have supported each other on matters concerning each other’s “core interests and major concerns,” according to a press release by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Kiribati severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China in September 2019. The Chinese communist regime, which has never ruled Taiwan, considers the self-governed island to be a renegade province.

Earlier this month, Maamau’s office criticized the Chinese regime for its test firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean on Sept. 25.

The Kiribati President’s Office said the Pacific island nation did not receive prior notice from China about the missile test, although it stated that the Chinese embassy had explained the test was “a routine activity” and not directed at any country in the Pacific.

“Kiribati does not welcome China’s recent ICBM test, including other countries that had tested similar weapons in the recent past,” Maamau’s office stated on Facebook on Oct. 6.

“The high seas in the Pacific are not isolated pockets of oceans, they are part of our Blue Pacific Continent and are parts of Kiribati and therefore we appeal to all countries involved in weapon testing to stop these acts to maintain world peace and stability,” it added.

In February, Kiribati’s ties with China came under scrutiny when the nation’s acting police commissioner Eeri Aritiera said Chinese police officers had been working with local police in the country.

Frank Fang contributed to this report.