Pacific Island leaders meet to demonstrate unity
2023.02.23 02:51
Pacific Island leaders meet to demonstrate unity
By Ray Johnson
Budrigannews.com – In the midst of tensions between China and the United States in the strategically located region, Pacific island leaders arrived in Fiji on Thursday for a two-day meeting to formalize Kiribati’s return to the 18-member regional bloc.
An agenda showed that the meeting will also talk about Japan’s plan to release treated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. Some Pacific islands worry that this could contaminate fish stocks, but Tokyo says it doesn’t.
Concerns grew that Kiribati, an atoll nation with vast fishing grounds located 3,000 kilometers (1,860 miles) southwest of Hawaii, had become isolated after establishing diplomatic ties with Beijing when it separated from the Pacific Islands Forum on the eve of its final meeting in July.
“Solidarity in our Pacific family is ever so critical, set against the backdrop of increasing geopolitical interests in our region, coupled with the real threats posed by climate change,” said Fiji’s prime minister and forum chairman, Sitiveni Rabuka, prior to the meeting.
After the Pacific Islands Forum stated that unity was the priority in a region where several states have ties with Taiwan rather than Beijing, China attempted to secure a 10-nation trade and security agreement in May but was unsuccessful.
China’s push for a policing role in the region has been criticized by Australia and New Zealand, both forum members.
China released the “Global Security Initiative,” a document on President Xi Jinping’s policy, on Tuesday. In the document, Pacific island nations are listed as Beijing’s top priorities for multilateral security cooperation.
According to the paper, China would “increase the provision of materials, funds, and talents to help island countries improve their ability to deal with non-traditional security threats” and “pay high attention” to Pacific island nations.
After Beijing signed a security agreement with Solomon Islands, the United States and its allies have been alarmed by China’s plans for the Pacific islands.
Australia has taken steps to improve its military ties with Fiji, established a security agreement with Vanuatu, and anticipates concluding a security agreement with Papua New Guinea this year.
On Tuesday, in Kiribati, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong signed a broad cooperation agreement.
Taneti Maamau, the president of Kiribati, stated that the agreement covered maritime surveillance, aviation, climate change, health, education, and infrastructure, as well as police cooperation and training.
When asked about Kiribati, Wong told reporters in Fiji on Thursday, “In relation to security, it is a very clear view, not only of Australia but of Pacific Island leaders, that we believe that security should be provided for within the Pacific family.”
On Thursday, Australia, the largest donor of aid to the region, announced a 620 million Australian dollars health program for the Pacific islands.
After Kiribati agreed to return, Meg Keen, director of the Pacific Islands Program at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, stated that the meeting’s focus was “absolutely a show of unity.”
She added that the topic of wastewater disposal from Fukushima was also a high priority due to the region’s history of nuclear contamination from decades of use as a bomb testing ground.
