BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping told visiting Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka that he backed his “Ocean of Peace” plan during a meeting in Beijing on Aug 20, the Chinese state media reported, days ahead of a summit for Pacific island leaders in Tonga.
China also pledged to step up its trade ties with the archipelagic state, which wants to upgrade its ports and shipbuilding, roads, and sewage infrastructure, but can do so only through securing better terms for its agricultural and fisheries exporters, owing to deep debts.
“China appreciates Prime Minister Rabuka’s vision for an Ocean of Peace and is committed to working with Fiji to contribute to international peace and security,” Mr Xi said, according to a read-out released on the night of Aug 20.
Mr Rabuka will visit Tonga next week for a meeting of the heads of 18 Pacific island countries and territories that will consider a regional policing proposal backed by Australia.
Ahead of his 10-day China tour, Mr Rabuka said he would not “upset the apple cart” on regional security in the Pacific, where China and the US are competing for influence.
Mr Rabuka, who returned as prime minister in 2022, has proposed an Ocean of Peace foreign policy to Pacific leaders that envisions engagement with all major powers and avoids militarisation of the islands region.
