CHINA has started to increase its Pacific presence using a two-pronged approach – subtle and openly obvious.
Last week, Vice-Governor Zhao Yan of Jiangsu Province met new Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Matthew Wale, to discuss development in Malaita.
The visit comes off the back of Wale’s election as prime minister and speculation that he might take a softer stance on Taiwan with which it severed relations in 2019.
While Wale has reaffirmed Solomon Islands’ commitment to a One China Policy, it appears Beijing is taking no chances. China wants to avoid any possible reversal of Solomon Islands’ position at this time – just before Pacific leaders meet in Palau in August.
Last year, China infiltrated the Pacific meeting in Honiara, causing a major rift between (then) Solomons PM Jeremiah Manele and his regional colleagues.
Taiwan has three Pacific allies – the Marshall Islands, Palau, and Tuvalu. China’s recent Solomon Islands engagement shows it has no wish to change the status quo. In Pacific homes, China has maintained a presence through its free-to-air CGTN (China Global Television Network).
In recent months, however, CGTN has placed itself on Pacific mobile phones using local languages – in particular, iTaukei (Fijian) and Tok Pisin (Papua New Guinea). This Facebook presence is expected to increase over the next 12 months. For now, the CGTN Facebook pages sing the praises of China and showcase its development initiatives.
Beijing will also be wary of recent Quad (Australia, India, Japan, United States) efforts to expand their Pacific presence through an international port facility in Fiji. While ostensibly a site for trade and logistics, the port would allow the Quad a staging point in the region and have provisions to host naval units of friendly nations.
The initiative appears to be direct push back against President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative.
In Malaita last week, Zhao said Jiangsu intended to strengthen collaboration in agriculture, fisheries, education, and professional training while expanding cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
“We aim to strengthen exchanges at all levels and deepen practical cooperation,” Zhao was quoted in a statement issued by the Solomon Islands Prime Minister’s Office.
He also unveiled a new Jiangsu-led initiative to support agricultural development through science, innovation, and technology, aimed at improving productivity, strengthening food security, and promoting sustainable rural development.
Zhao praised the Wale Government’s education reform programme and reaffirmed Jiangsu’s willingness to expand cooperation in vocational education, skills training and human resource development.
“Jiangsu stands ready to work closely with Solomon Islands to translate our leaders’ consensus into tangible outcomes and take our cooperation to a new level,” he said.
Wale welcomed the proposed expansion, describing Jiangsu as an important long-term development partner.
“Jiangsu Province represents enormous opportunities for Solomon Islands – not only for Malaita Province, but for our country as a whole,” Wale said.
He added education remains at the centre of his Government’s development agenda.
“Education is fundamental to our national transformation. It equips our people with the skills, knowledge and discipline needed to build a stronger and more resilient Solomon Islands.
“With the right partnerships, we can accelerate development by learning from successful international experience.”
These most recent developments underscore the importance of the Pacific’s geopolitical importance. Competition for influence over Pacific powers is likely to intensify as Xi heads for a fourth term as head of the Chinese Communist Party and President Donald Trump approaches the middle of his term in the White House.
The competition, managed well, will provide opportunities for the Pacific… and Wale has shown that Solomon Islands is ready to benefit from that rivalry.
