Taiwan shored up its shrinking circle of Pacific friends this week, a small win for Taipei as China keeps chipping away at its diplomatic ties.

• Taiwan signed a joint statement with Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands promising to work together on peace and stability in the region.
• Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung spent a week in Palau and was invited to the opening of the Pacific Islands Forum leaders' meeting.
• That is a turnaround from last year, when Taiwan was shut out of the event in the Solomon Islands, which switched sides to Beijing in 2019.
• Taiwan is funding hospital tech, solar power and a hydrogen project in Palau, and Washington said it will help build a new hospital there too.
• Only three of the forum's 18 members still recognize Taiwan.

Outlook: Beijing will keep pressing the remaining three to switch, so expect more Taiwanese and American money flowing into the islands.