Earlier this year, in the midst of a horrific news cycle and a rapidly mounting death toll, that notion was a welcome silver lining to the pandemic.

For Daniel Suidani, the premier of the country's most populous province, Malaita, the nation's leaders were putting their new relationship with Beijing before their own people.

A high-profile United States official is visiting Taiwan for the second time in two months, the latest sign of warming ties between Washington and Taipei, as Beijing escalates pressure on the self-governed island through a series of military drills and aircraft incursions.