A lack of consensus from Pacific nations has forced Beijing to shelve a sweeping security and economic deal with the region, following a meeting between foreign ministers on May 30.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is midway through an eight-nation tour of the region where Beijing has been attempting to tighten alliances with the island nations.
The China-Pacific Island Countries Common Development Vision, which was leaked last week, covers cooperation across 10 Pacific nations in the fields of free trade, fisheries, security, cyber, and maritime mapping and would have been a significant step forward for the Chinese Communist Party’s ambitions in the region.
However, Wang and Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama later confirmed at a press conference that the deal had been shelved following a lack of consensus.
Going forward, Beijing said it would “release its own position paper” on cooperation with Pacific islands. Wang also pledged “in-depth discussions and consultations to shape more consensus” on cooperation.
The Fijian prime minister reiterated a “consensus first” approach to regional agreements in the area. While Beijing’s ambassador to Fiji said afterward that there had been “general support” for the agreement, according to The Guardian.
However, David Panuelo, president of the Federated States of Micronesia, has been vocal in his opposition to the regional deal, writing to 21 Pacific leaders saying the pact could trigger a new “Cold War” between Beijing and democratic nations.
He said the deal could draw Pacific nations “very close into Beijing’s orbit, intrinsically tying the whole of our economies and societies to them.”
“The practical impacts, however, of Chinese control over our communications infrastructure, our ocean territory and the resources within them, and our security space, aside from impacts on our sovereignty, is that it increases the chances of China getting into conflict with Australia, Japan, the United States, and New Zealand,” he said.
