Editing Tonga (section)

===Foreign relations===
{{Further|Foreign relations of Tonga}}

Tonga's foreign policy {{as of| January 2009 | lc=yes}} was described by [[Matangi Tonga]] as "Look East"{{snd}}specifically, as establishing closer diplomatic and economic relations with Asia (which actually lies to the north-west of the Pacific kingdom). As of 2021, China has attained great influence in Tonga, financing infrastructure projects, including a new royal palace and holding two thirds of the country's foreign debt.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Luthi|first=Susannah|title=Meth, Vanilla and 'Gulags': How China Has Overtaken the South Pacific One Island at a Time|url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/08/29/tonga-china-south-pacific-influence-506370|access-date=2021-08-29|website=Politico|date=29 August 2021 |language=en|archive-date=29 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829164516/https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/08/29/tonga-china-south-pacific-influence-506370|url-status=live}}</ref>

Tonga retains cordial relations with the United States. Although it remains on good terms with the United Kingdom, the two countries do not maintain particularly close relations. The United Kingdom closed its High Commission in Tonga in 2006, although it was re-established in January 2020 after a 14-year absence. Tonga's relations with Oceania's regional powers, Australia and New Zealand, are good.<ref name="matangitonga.to">[https://matangitonga.to/2009/01/12/tongas-diplomatic-community-grows "Tonga's diplomatic community grows"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810040105/https://matangitonga.to/2009/01/12/tongas-diplomatic-community-grows |date=10 August 2021 }}, Matangi Tonga, 12 January 2009.</ref>

Tonga maintains strong regional ties in the Pacific. It is a full member of the [[Pacific Islands Forum]], the [[South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission]], the [[South Pacific Tourism Organisation]], the [[Pacific Regional Environment Programme]], and the [[Secretariat of the Pacific Community]].

In 2023, the governments of Tonga and other islands vulnerable to climate change ([[Fiji]], [[Niue]], the [[Solomon Islands]], [[Tuvalu]] and [[Vanuatu]]) launched the "Port Vila Call for a Just Transition to a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific", calling for the phase out [[fossil fuel]]s and the "rapid and [[just transition]]" to [[renewable energy]] and strengthening [[environmental law]], including introducing the crime of [[ecocide]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=Six Island Nations Commit to 'Fossil Fuel-Free Pacific,' Demand Global Just Transition |url=https://www.commondreams.org/news/fossil-fuel-free-pacific |access-date=2023-07-01 |website=www.commondreams.org |language=en |archive-date=16 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616003648/https://www.commondreams.org/news/fossil-fuel-free-pacific |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-22 |title=Port Vila call to phase out fossil fuels |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/486463/port-vila-call-to-phase-out-fossil-fuels |access-date=2023-07-01 |website=[[RNZ]] |language=en-nz |archive-date=1 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701175204/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/486463/port-vila-call-to-phase-out-fossil-fuels |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ligaiula |first=Pita |date=2023-03-17 |title=Port Vila call for a just transition to a fossil fuel free Pacific {{!}} PINA |url=https://pina.com.fj/2023/03/17/port-vila-call-for-a-just-transition-to-a-fossil-fuel-free-pacific/ |access-date=2023-07-01 |language=en-US |archive-date=1 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701175216/https://pina.com.fj/2023/03/17/port-vila-call-for-a-just-transition-to-a-fossil-fuel-free-pacific/ |url-status=live }}</ref>