Pacific Island Nations : Reject China Pact

Ten Pacific Island Nations rejects China’s push for a wide ranging regional security pact.

The countries reject the pact because of previous experience around the world like Sri Lanka.
Signing of treaty has long term impact on their interest and relation with western powers.

The proposed pact would see Beijing train Pacific island police, become involved in cybersecurity, expand political ties, conduct sensitive marine mapping and gain greater access to natural resources on land and in the water.

Solomon Islands
- Last month the Solomon island signed other development treaties with China to allow Chinese ships to be placed in the South Pacific. Reason for worry
  - Strategic location that check on other countries like Australia
  - Control over shipping channels
  - Power tassel with USA
  - Pressure on Solomon to Taiwan as part of China
Suva
- Except security deal Suva sign deals like included economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic, and new centres for agriculture and disaster

Pacific Powers Views
- The Pacific power nations like Japan , USA , Australia view the pact as a security threat and lead to instability in the region.
- The Chinese presence in the region is a territorial threat to USA territory of Guam island in the region.
Neo Colonialism and Debt Trap
- China’s investment in the region leads to neo-colonialism and debt trap diplomacy where the nation’s political sovereignty will be checked.
Exploitation of Natural Resources and Environment
- The signing of the agreement leads to increased Chinese presence in the region that eventually results in incidents like illegal fishing.
- The over exploitation of the resources leads to depletion of the environment like corals in the region.

Pic Courtesy : The Hindu

Content Source : The Hindu