Foreign relations of Tonga

Politics of Tonga
Constitution
Monarchy
Executive
Legislative
Judiciary
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Administrative divisions
Foreign relations

Tonga, by a modification of its treaty of friendship with the United Kingdom in July 1970, is responsible for its own external affairs. It maintains cordial relations with most countries and has close relations with its Pacific neighbours and the United Kingdom. In 1998, it recognized the People's Republic of China and broke relations with Taiwan.[1]

Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Tonga maintains diplomatic relations with:

# Country Date[2]
1  Kiribati No date given
2  Tuvalu No date given
3  Nauru No date given[3]
4  Samoa No date given[4]
5  New Zealand 4 June 1970[5]
6  United Kingdom 4 June 1970[6]
7  Japan July 1970[7]
8  South Korea 11 September 1970[8]
9  Australia 3 December 1970[9]
10  India 23 December 1970[10]
11  Canada 11 June 1971[11]
12  France 16 July 1971[12]
13  Belgium 16 August 1971[13]
14  United States 6 November 1972[14]
15  Sweden 21 January 1974[15]
16  Russia 2 October 1975[16]
17  Netherlands 4 November 1975[17]
18  Turkey 26 January 1976[18]
19  Luxembourg 1 November 1976[19]
20  Israel June 1977[20]
21  Germany 2 January 1978[21]
22  Libya 16 March 1978[22]
23  Chile 1 October 1979[23]
24  Spain 16 November 1979[24]
25  Solomon Islands 7 July 1980[25]
26  Vanuatu 7 July 1980[26]
27  Fiji 1980[27]
28  Papua New Guinea 1980[28]
29  Philippines 1 July 1981[29]
30  Italy 26 November 1981[30]
31  Malaysia 9 September 1982[31]
32  Sri Lanka 10 January 1984[32]
33  Peru 20 January 1984[33]
34  Greece 5 July 1985[34]
35   Switzerland 13 September 1985[34]
36  Denmark 1985[35]
37  Norway 30 August 1988[36]
38  Federated States of Micronesia 1 August 1989[37]
39  Maldives 1 August 1989[38]
40  Brunei 1 May 1990[39]
41  Pakistan Before 1992[40]
42  Singapore 6 August 1993[41]
43  Finland 1 December 1993[42]
44  Thailand 27 January 1994[43]
45  Indonesia 30 May 1994[44]
–  Holy See 24 August 1994[45]
46  Morocco 16 January 1995[46]
47  Slovenia 7 December 1995[47]
48  China 2 November 1998[48]
49  South Africa 1 September 1999[49]
50  Mongolia 4 April 2001
51  Seychelles 12 July 2002
52  Cuba 15 July 2002[50]
53  East Timor 26 November 2002
54  Eswatini 22 May 2003
55  Austria 2004[51][52]
56  Malta 3 May 2007
57  Venezuela 9 May 2007[53]
58  United Arab Emirates 13 July 2007
59  Czech Republic 19 September 2007[54]
60  Iceland 14 December 2007
61  Mexico 26 September 2008
62  Portugal 26 November 2008
63  Cyprus 22 June 2009[55]
64  Hungary 23 September 2011
65  Brazil 21 December 2011[56]
66  Serbia 22 February 2013[57]
–  Cook Islands 18 November 2014[58]
67  Georgia 18 February 2015
68  Estonia 12 March 2015
69  Kazakhstan 17 March 2015
70  Poland 29 August 2016[59]
71  Latvia 28 October 2020
72  Saudi Arabia 14 December 2020
73  Ireland 27 July 2021[60]
74  Kuwait 2 September 2021
75  Bahrain 19 September 2022
76  Marshall Islands 21 September 2022[61]
77  Kyrgyzstan 7 December 2022
78  Bosnia and Herzegovina 9 February 2023
79  Tajikistan 10 February 2023
80  Rwanda 22 March 2023
81  Romania 10 April 2023
82  Vietnam 21 September 2023[62]
83  Qatar 16 February 2024
84  Nicaragua 28 February 2024
85  Dominican Republic 29 February 2024
86    Nepal 1 March 2024
87  Oman 14 March 2024
88  Uruguay 14 March 2024
89  Uganda 15 April 2024[63]
—  Kosovo 17 April 2024[64]
90  Lithuania 23 September 2024
91  Dominica 25 October 2024[65]

Regional relations

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. Tonga endorsed the Treaty of Rarotonga (the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty) in 1996.[66]

Tonga is, however, notably not one of the eight signatories of the Nauru Agreement Concerning Cooperation in the Management of Fisheries of Common Interest which collectively controls 25–30% of the world's tuna supply and approximately 60% of the western and central Pacific tuna supply.[67]

Since November 2011, Tonga has been one of the eight founding members of Polynesian Leaders Group, a regional grouping intended to cooperate on a variety of issues including culture and language, education, responses to climate change, and trade and investment.[68][69][70]

Extra-regional relations

Tonga was admitted to full membership of the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970, upon regaining its independence from British protection.

Since it has always had its own monarch, its position in the Commonwealth was rather unusual.

Tonga is an independent native Commonwealth monarchy like Brunei, Lesotho, Malaysia, and Swaziland.

Tonga was admitted to the United Nations in 1999.

Additionally outside the region, Tonga is a member or participant of the ACP, Asian Development Bank, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the G-77, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the International Development Association, the International Finance Corporation, International Hydrographic Organization, the IMF, the International Maritime Organization, Interpol, the International Olympic Committee, the ITU, the NAM, the UPU, the World Meteorological Organization and the World Trade Organization.

Bilateral relations

Country Formal Relations Began Notes
 Australia 4 June 1970 See Australia–Tonga relations
 Brazil 21 December 2011
  • Brazil is accredited to Tonga from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand.
  • Tonga does not have an accreditation to Brazil.
 Canada 11 June 1971
  • Canada is accredited to Tonga from its High Commission in Wellington, New Zealand.[73]
  • Tonga is accredited to Canada from its Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City.[74]
 China 2 November 1998 See China–Tonga relations

The Kingdom of Tonga and the People's Republic of China (PRC) established official diplomatic relations in 1998. The two countries maintain cordial diplomatic, economic and military relations.

  • China has an embassy in Nukuʻalofa.
  • Tonga has an embassy in Beijing.
 Fiji See Fiji–Tonga relations

These neighbouring countries in the South Pacific have a history of bilateral relations going back several centuries.

Fiji's Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama received "cheers and thunderous applause" from the Tongan public when he attended a Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Tonga in October 2007; the crowd's "enthusiastic reception" of Fiji's leader was likened to "that accorded to a rock star".[75] Radio Australia noted that he had been "the star of this year's meeting, for the people of Tonga",[76] while TVNZ reported that he had been "given a hero's welcome".[77]

In terms of inter-governmental relations, Tonga has generally avoided pressuring Fiji's "interim government" into holding democratic elections. However, Tongan Prime Minister Dr. Feleti Sevele has urged Bainimarama "to produce a credible roadmap to the election according to the Constitution and law of Fiji".[78]

 Germany 1 May 1976
  • Germany is accredited to Tonga from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand and maintains an honorary consulate in Nukuʻalofa.[79]
  • Tonga is accredited to Germany from its high commission in London, United Kingdom.
 Greece 1984
  • Diplomatic relations were established in 1984.[80]
  • Greece is accredited to Tonga from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand.[80]
  • Tonga does not have an accreditation to Greece.
 India 23 December 1970 See India–Tonga relations
  • India is accredited to Tonga from its high commission in Suva, Fiji.
  • Tonga does not have an accreditation to India.
 Japan July 1970
  • Japan has an embassy in Nukuʻalofa.
  • Tonga has an embassy in Tokyo.[81]
 Latvia 28 October 2020
  • Tonga and Latvia established diplomatic relations in 2020. On 28 October 2020, Tongan and Latvian Ambassadors to the United Nations signed a joint communiqué formalising the bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction over strengthening of ties between the two countries.[82]
  • Both countries see opportunities for cooperation in tackling climate change, development cooperation, economics, and cooperation in various multilateral formats, especially in the light of the prospective Latvian non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council in 2026–2027.[83]
 Mexico 6 September 2008
  • Mexico is accredited to Tonga from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand.[84]
  • Tonga is accredited to Mexico from its Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City.[85]
 New Zealand 4 June 1970 See New Zealand–Tonga relations
  • New Zealand has a high commission in Nukuʻalofa.[86]
  • Tonga has a consulate-general in Auckland.[87]
 Russia 14 October 1975 See Russia–Tonga relations

The Kingdom of Tonga and the Soviet Union established formal diplomatic relations in 1976. Tonga was the first Pacific Island country to establish relations with the USSR. The USSR was dissolved in 1991 and was succeeded by Russia as the successor state.

On 2 October 2005, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Tonga ST T. Tupou exchanged telegrams offering congratulations on the occasion of 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the two nations. In his heads of foreign ministries of Russia and Tonga expressed confidence in further development of Russian-Tongan relations in the interests of the peoples of both countries and strengthen peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region.[88]

  • Russia is accredited to Tonga from its embassy in Canberra, Australia.
  • Tonga does not have an accreditation to Russia.
 Samoa See Samoa–Tonga relations

Both nations are Pacific Islands countries and members of the Commonwealth of Nations and Pacific Islands Forum.

  • Samoa is accredited to Tonga from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Apia.
  • Tonga is accredited to Samoa from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nukuʻalofa.
 South Korea 11 September 1970

The Kingdom of Tonga and the Republic of Korea have established diplomatic relations on September 11, 1970.

  • The two countries have good diplomatic relations.
  • The ROK's Investment in Tonga in 2019 was about 2.5 million $.[89]
 Spain 16 November 1979
  • Spain is accredited to Tonga from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand.
  • Tonga does not have an accreditation to Spain
 Turkey 26 January 1976[90] See Tonga–Turkey relations
  • Turkish ambassador in Wellington to New Zealand is also accredited to Tonga.[90]
  • Trade volume between the two countries was negligible in 2019.[90]
 United Kingdom 4 June 1970

Tonga has had its longest formal relations with the United Kingdom, with which it remains on very good terms. The British explorer James Cook led expeditions to Tonga in 1773, 1774 and 1777. This was followed by extensive English missionary activity beginning in 1797. The mass conversion of most Tongans to Christianity – and primarily to Wesleyan Methodism – resulted in strong religious ties to England as the source of most of the missionaries involved. Indeed, it was in part through the assistance of the English missionary Shirley Baker (who baptized him) that George Tupou I established the current Tonga constitutional monarchy in 1875. This served to further strengthen Anglo-Tongan ties, and the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Tonga established formal mutual diplomatic recognition in 1879.[91] While always remaining independent, Tonga became a British protected state under the so-called Treaty of Friendship on 18 May 1900, when European settlers and rival Tongan chiefs tried to oust the second king. The Treaty of Friendship and protected state status ended only in 1970 under arrangements established during the reign of Tonga's third monarch, Queen Sālote.

Tonga is unique among Pacific island nations in its never having been colonized. Its foreign relations, therefore, have always been as an independent monarchy free of the colonial relationships of its neighbors. (see History of Tonga).

Tonga's earliest foreign relations were rooted in conquest of many of its neighboring islands so that by the 12th century, Tongans, and the Tongan kings, the Tu'i Tonga, were known across the Pacific, from Niue, Samoa to Tikopia they ruled these nations for over 400 years, leading some historians to refer to a "Tongan Empire," although it was more so a network of interacting navigators, chiefs and adventurers. Tonga's dominance of the region was greatly affected following first contact with the Dutch beginning in 1616 on the Northern Tongan islands "Cocos Island" (Tafahi) and "Traitors Island" (Niuatoputapu), and later in 1643 on the main island of Tonga itself. The Dutch did not establish a lasting presence, but Dutch reports led to interest from the British. The British explorer James Cook led expeditions to Tonga in 1773, 1774 and 1777. This was followed by extensive English missionary activity beginning in 1797. The mass conversion of most Tongans to Christianity – and primarily to Wesleyan Methodism – resulted in strong religious ties to England as the source of most of the missionaries involved. Indeed, it was in part through the assistance of the English missionary Shirley Baker (who baptized him) that George Tupou I established the current Tonga constitutional monarchy in 1875. This served to further strengthen Anglo-Tongan ties. While always remaining independent, Tonga became a British protected state under the so-called Treaty of Friendship on 18 May 1900, when European settlers and rival Tongan chiefs tried to oust the second king. This protected the Tongan monarchy from European or other colonizing powers in return for a special relationship with the United Kingdom.

In the 1950s, Anglo-Tongan relations were strengthened with the visit of each country's monarch to the other nation. In 1953, Tonga's Queen Sālote became the first Tongan monarch to visit Britain when she attended the coronation of Elizabeth II. Soon after, in 1954, the Queen Elizabeth then visited Tonga.

The Treaty of Friendship and protected state status ended only in 1970 under arrangements established during the reign of Tonga's third monarch, Queen Sālote.

As part of cost-cutting measures across the British Foreign Service, the British Government closed the British High Commission in Nukuʻalofa in March 2006, transferring representation of British interests in Tonga to the UK High Commissioner in Fiji. The last resident British High Commissioner was Paul Nessling.[92]

In 2010, Tongan Brigadier General Tau'aika 'Uta'atu, Commander of the Tonga Defence Services, signed an agreement in London committing a minimum of 200 Tongan troops to cooperate with Britain's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.[93]

  • Tonga has a high commission in London.
  • United Kingdom has a high commission in Nukuʻalofa.
 United States 4 October 1972 See Tonga–United States relations

The United States and Tonga enjoy close cooperation on a range of international issues. Officers of the American Embassy in Suva, Fiji, are concurrently accredited to Tonga and make periodic visits since the United States has no permanent consular or diplomatic offices in Tonga. Although plans for a US consulate in Tonga were announced in 2008,[94][95] it has yet to be established.[96] In May 2023, the United States announced plans to establish an embassy in Tonga, as part of a larger regional push to strengthen ties with the Pacific.[97]

Peace Corps Volunteers teach and provide technical assistance to Tongans. A large number of Tongans reside in the United States, particularly in Utah, California and Hawaii.[98]

  • Tonga is accredited to the United States from its permanent mission to the United Nations in New York City and has a consulate-general in Burlingame, California.[99]
  • United States has an embassy in Nuku’alofa.

Commonwealth of Nations

Tonga has been a member of the Commonwealth of Nations since 4 June 1970.

Tonga was a British protected monarchy from 1900 to 1970, when it became an independent native monarchy within the Commonwealth of Nations, a status shared by Brunei, Lesotho, Malaysia, and Eswatini, which also have their own native monarchs.

Current foreign policy

Tonga's foreign policy as of January 2009 has been described by Matangi Tonga as "Look East" – namely, as establishing closer diplomatic and economic relations with Asia (which actually lies to the north-west of the Pacific kingdom). 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, and the United Kingdom closed its High Commission in Tonga in 2006. Tonga's relations with Oceania's regional powers, Australia and New Zealand, are very good.

International disputes

In 1972, Tonga laid claim to, and invaded, the tide-washed, isolated Minerva Reefs, some 480 kilometres southwest of Nuku'olofa, to thwart efforts by a private group, Ocean Life Research Foundation, to establish an independent Republic of Minerva (now the Principality of Minerva) on the reefs and surrounding quays. In November 2005, Fiji laid a complaint with the International Seabed Authority claiming ownership of the reefs.[100]

See also

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