China pulls back from Pacific agreement

WELLINGTON: China has shelved its plan to sign a regional agreement with Pacific island nations.

China Foreign Minister Wang Yi yesterday urged the Pacific region not to be ‘‘too anxious’’ about his country’s aims after a meeting in Fiji yesterday with his counterparts from 10 island nations was unable to agree to a sweeping trade and security communique.

Mr Wang hosted the meeting midway through a diplomatic tour of the region where Beijing’s ambitions for wider security ties has caused concern among United States allies.

A draft communique and fiveyear action plan sent by China to the invited nations ahead of the meeting showed China was seeking a sweeping regional trade and security agreement.

But the draft communique prompted opposition from at least one of the invited nations, Federated States of Micronesia, according to a letter leaked last week.

After the meeting, which also included Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Niue and Vanuatu, Mr Wang said the nations had agreed on five areas of cooperation, but further discussions were needed.

The five areas he listed included economic recovery after the Covid pandemic, and new centres for agriculture and disaster, but did not include security.

‘‘China will release its own position paper on our own positions and propositions and cooperation proposals with Pacific island countries, and going forward we will continue to have ongoing and indepth discussions and consultations to shape more consensus on cooperation,’’ he said in Fiji late yesterday.

Questions at the media briefing were not allowed.

Mr Wang said some had questioned China’s motives in being so active in the Pacific islands, and his response was China supported developing countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean also.

‘‘Don’t be too anxious and don’t be too nervous, because the common development and prosperity of China and all the other developing countries would only mean great harmony, greater justice and greater progress of the whole world,’’ he said.

Taking questions after Mr

Wang’s briefing, China Ambassador to Fiji Qian Bo said participants had agreed to discuss the draft communique and the fiveyear plan ‘‘until we have reached an agreement.’’

‘‘There has been general support from the 10 countries with which we have diplomatic relations, but of course there are some concerns.’’

Several invited nations want to defer action on the draft communique or have it amended, an official from one Pacific country said earlier.

New Zealand, the US, Australia and Japan have expressed concern about a security pact signed by Solomon Islands with China last month, saying it had regional consequences and could lead to a Chinese military presence close to Australia.

The new Australian government has made the Pacific Islands an early foreign policy priority, to counter Beijing’s push.

It sent foreign minister Penny Wong to Fiji with the message Australia would put new priority on the region’s biggest security challenge of climate change and announced a new visa programme to allow Pacific island citizens to migrate.

In Honiara last week, Mr Wang condemned interference in the deal and said the Solomon Islands’ relationship with China was a model for other Pacific island nations.

Mr Wang will travel to the kingdom of Tonga today for a twoday visit.

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta said last night she hoped to visit the Solomon Islands in ‘‘coming weeks’’.

Ms Mahuta told 1News she had had a ‘‘great’’ bilateral meeting with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele, and the pair identified what the regional issues were and agreed to meet.

‘‘I'm hopeful it will be very soon, like within the next coming weeks,’’ she said.

Earlier yesterday, National foreign affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee said Ms Mahuta had been slow to react to the China threat.

“While our traditional partners are out engaging with the region and demonstrating their ability to meet all the needs of the Pacific, Minister Mahuta and this Government have gone radio silent.

‘‘No media, no visible engagement, not even a tweet,’’ Mr Brownlee said. — Reuters

❛ Don’t be too anxious and don’t be too nervous, because the common development and prosperity of China and all the other developing countries would only mean great harmony, greater justice and greater progress of the whole world Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi