Taneti Maamau

20202024 On 6 January, Maamau signed a memorandum of understanding in China joining the Belt and Road Initiative. Xi Jinping, after meeting with Maamau, praised Kiribati's government for being "on the right side of history." In the 2020 parliamentary elections, Maamau's party also lost the parliamentary majority, winning only 20 seats. Berina promised to reverse the pro-China switch if elected. Taneti won the election by 59% of the vote and was officially sworn in for his second term on 24 June 2020.

In August, Maamau announced plans to elevate Kiribati's islands through dredging. He sought support from allies such as China for the projects, which he said would require billions of dollars, but said that he would maintain Kiribati's independence and not take out large loans from other countries. He also refuted American concerns that his government would allow a Chinese military base to be built on Kiritimati.

In October 2020, Maamau and four other Micronesian leaders threatened to withdraw their countries from the Pacific Islands Forum, which they felt did not support their interests. A Polynesian candidate had been elected Secretary-General instead of their preferred Micronesian nominee, which they felt breached a "gentleman's agreement" to cycle the position through the various regions. Maamau withdrew Kiribati from the forum in July 2022. It was seen as a setback to Pacific regionalism as China increased its influence in the region, fueling geopolitical tension. In 2023, Kiribati rejoined the forum.

In the 2022 Kiribati constitutional crisis, the government's treatment of judges was condemned by judicial bodies. In September 2022, Maamau indefinitely suspended Australian-born judge David Lambourne. The opposition saw this as a punishment for his wife, their leader Tessie Eria Lambourne. Maamau did the same of all three court of appeal judges and the chief justice after they ruled against Lambourne's deportation.

Kiribati had no COVID-19 cases for the first two years of the pandemic. On 22 January 2022, the government announced a lockdown after people on the first passenger flight in 10 months tested positive. It spread to Tarawa, where a freelance journalist, Rimon Rimon, told Time magazine that many were unhappy with the government for opening its borders while there was an outbreak in Fiji. Maamau's office implored citizens to get vaccinations.

In March 2024, Reuters reported that Chinese police were working alongside I-Kiribati officers as part of China's plans to form security ties with the Pacific Islands. This was a point of contention for countries such as Australia and the US, who were concerned that China was trying to increase extraterritorial control and surveillance.

2024present Pro-China relations, climate policy, and cost of living were major issues in the 2024 elections. Maamau was re-elected for Onotoa in the parliamentary elections, and for a third and final term in the presidential election with 55% of the vote.

Personal life Maamau has served as a deacon of the Kiribati Uniting Church years before entering politics. He was married to Teiraeng Tentoa Maamau, a woman from Tabiteuea, with whom he had three children and two grandchildren.