Taiwan is pushing to stay visible in Pacific diplomacy ahead of a major regional summit, a small win for Taipei as China works to squeeze it out.

• Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung opened a Taiwan-backed exhibit in Palau on projects covering clean energy, farming, healthcare and digital infrastructure.
• The timing is deliberate: Palau hosts the Pacific Islands Forum leaders' meeting this coming week.
• US, Japanese and Australian representatives joined the tour, signaling Taipei has backing from the region's big democracies.
• Taiwan is not a forum member and was shut out of last year's leaders' meeting in the Solomon Islands.
• Only Palau, the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu still have formal ties with Taiwan among forum members.

Outlook: Expect more sideline events and quiet pressure from both Taipei and Beijing as the forum meets in Koror this week.