Fiji’s one-China policy continues under Rabuka’s Coalition Government
Despite all the utterances before the election, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has made it clear that Fiji’s one-China policy will continue. It’s a logical move given the level of co-operation between the two countries on many fronts.
While Mr Rabuka had said before his election that he wanted to strengthen relations between Fiji and Australia and Fiji and the United States in light of China’s growing influence in the Pacific because they were traditional partners.
However, we know that over the years Australia and the U.S. have taken the region for granted and have failed to step up in the same way that China has done. China’s diplomatic victory in the Solomons and Kiribati, which have switched their allegiance from Taipei to Beijing, forced the U.S. and its proxy in the region, Australia, to act.
Washington increased its aid and assistance to the region by bringing back the Peace Corps volunteer scheme and establishing new embassies in Tonga and Kiribati. Australia has committed more help. While Fiji may be concerned with the implications of the standoff between China and Taiwan to regional security and stability, there are other pressing matters of immediate concern to the region. These are the impact of climate change, the increase in the cost of living and post COVID-19 recovery. On these issues, Fiji is getting valuable assistance from our development partners including China.
On the peaceful front, China has made significant inroads into the economic development of a number of small island developing states in the region. So it is very much part of the equation on regional geopolitics.
China has stuck with Fiji during some its darkest periods in history. When Mr Rabuka led the first military coup that overthrew the democratically elected Government of the late Dr Timoci Bavadra in 1987, traditional partners like Australia, New Zealand, the U.S, and the United Kingdom withdrew their diplomatic relations with Fiji.
They distanced themselves. But China maintained its ties and helped Fiji prompting Mr Rabuka to coin the phrase “Look North” policy.
The ties between the two countries were strengthened by former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama. They were reaffirmed by Mr Rabuka when he was paid a courtesy visit by the People’s Republic of China’s chargé d’affaires and Political Counselor, Wang Xuguang, this week.
Mr Wang says China stands ready to work with Fiji on friendly exchanges and promote China and Fiji’s comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level. Mr Rabuka said Fiji would be guided by the principles of mutual respect and meaningful collaboration to advance the common development priorities. On the tourism front, the Chinese see Fiji as a popular tourist destination. Fiji is in the top 20 list of preferred tourist destinations for the Chinese.
So we can expect the Fiji-China relations to get better and stronger in years to come.