China in Fiji: displacing traditional players?

Abstract

A widely held perception in Oceania is that China has taken the opportunity of Western sanctions against Fiji's military-led regime to expand its influence in Fiji. Observers and media in the region were alarmed by the sudden increase of China's pledged aid to Fiji shortly after the 2006 military takeover. They are concerned that China has a well-calculated strategy of displacing traditional Western players in Fiji, most notably Australia and New Zealand. Such concern is not well founded. While China does have multiple interests, including strategic interests, in Fiji, there is no clear evidence to suggest that China aims to displace the traditional players there. China's growing influence in Fiji is part of China's global rise. Both Australia and New Zealand are committed to Fiji and the South Pacific as a whole. Given its substantial interests in Australia and New Zealand, it is not in China's interest to increase its influence in Fiji at the cost of its relations with these two traditional players.

Keywords:

• Beijing–Taipei rivalry
• China–Australia relations
• China–Fiji relations
• China–New Zealand relations
• China–South Pacific

Notes

1. For more information about the coup, see Fraenkel et al. (2009).

2. This information is based on various sources, mainly reports, interviews and Chinese government websites.

3. Interview, Suva, February 2010. Subsequent references in the article are to this interview.

4. According to a senior Chinese diplomat in Fiji, over 200 Chinese workers have been working on the project and the Chinese company hired more than 200 local workers at one stage (Interview 2010).

5. The other five were in Ecuador, Jordan, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea and the United Arab Emirates.

6. Fiji's merchandise imports from Australia in 2008 were worth US$375.57 million. Singapore is Fiji's largest merchandise import market, with an imports volume of US$558.33 million in 2008 (IMF 2009: 210).

7. The 14 PICs are the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jian Yang

Jian Yang is a Senior Lecturer in International Relations and Associate Dean (Postgraduate) of the Arts Faculty at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He received his PhD from the Australian National University. He chairs the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. He is also a founding Associate Editor of the Journal of Human Security. Dr Yang is currently working on a book titled Pacific Islands in China's Grand Strategy, to be published by Palgrave Macmillan