China in Pacific Regional Politics

Abstract

Foreign aid from China to the island countries of the Pacific has grown rapidly over the last few decades and an expanding body of literature has examined various aspects of what this means for politics in the region generally. This article focuses on China’s impact on Pacific regional politics partly from the perspective of identity politics. It suggests that China has substantially increased its engagement with the Pacific island states by making use of its own identity as a South–South development partner in contrast to traditional (mainly Western) donors in the region. Unlike most traditional donors, however, China’s diplomacy and engagement are based largely on bilateralism, and this is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. This approach could continue to limit its impact on Pacific regionalism, regardless of how it projects its image.

Keywords:

• China
• Pacific regionalism
• identity
• foreign aid
• foreign policy
• South–South cooperation
• Pacific island countries
• Xi Jinping
• Taiwan
• Australia
• New Zealand

Notes

1. It is the successor to the Pacific Plan adopted in 2005 to promote regional integration and cooperation.

2. The exchange rate between US dollar and RMB was 1:6.49 in December 2015. This rate is used consistently in this paper.

3. Part of the fund is used to support the operation of the Pacific Trade and Investment Office in Beijing.