Xi Jinping, a top official from China, told Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka that he backed his” Ocean of Peace” plan at a meeting in Beijing on Tuesday ( Aug 20 ), days ahead of a summit for Pacific Island leaders in Tonga.
China also pledged to strengthen trade relations with the coastal state, which wants to modernize its ports, shipbuilding, streets, and sewage system but only can do so by negotiating better terms for its agricultural and fisheries exporters, which are already deeply debated.
According to a display released later on Tuesday night, Xi stated,” China appreciates Prime Minister Rabuka’s perspective for an Ocean of Peace and is committed to working with Fiji to contribute to global peace and security.”
Next week, Rabuka may travel to Tonga to attend a conference of the mind of 18 Pacific island nations and territories that will discuss a local police proposal supported by Australia.
Back of his 10-day China journey, Rabuka said he would never “upset the iphones vehicle” on local security in the Pacific, where China and the US are competing for effect.
Rabuka, who was elected prime minister in 2022, has suggested an” Ocean of Peace” foreign policy for the Pacific leaders that includes military action against all major power and prevents the islands place from militarizing.
” I am very much encouraged by your principles, your thoughts on calm cooperation, on the principles of development. They go against what I have in mind for the concept of the Ocean of Peace, Rabuka told Xi, and he added that he would explain the Taiwanese party’s help for the program at the conference next week.
China also agreed to invest in Fiji’s tourism, agriculture and fishing companies and support a street upgrading job on the country’s second-largest area, the reading added.
Experts claim that Fiji is strategic to Beijing because it is located at the southern end of” the next island network,” an region stretching up to Japan that China’s military seeks power of, despite the Pacific Island says ‘ tendency to offer a bad return on investment.
China has also begun to focus more on the region as it intensifies efforts to diplomatically isolate Taiwan, which Beijing views as part of its territory, and sever its relations with the nearby Pacific countries of the Marshall Islands, Palau, and Tuvalu.
Fiji owes China, the world’s biggest bilateral lender, just over US$ 218 million, according to World Bank data. In response to his victory in the 2022 election, Rabuka has turned to Australia for additional aid donations.
Former Fiji leader Frank Bainimarama and China forged policing agreements ten years ago, but Rabuka called it over and made an announcement in June that would make them work more closely with Australia.