Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday urged the Pacific region not to be “too anxious” about his country’s goals after a meeting in Fiji with leaders of 10 island nations failed to arrive. agreement on a broad commercial and safety notice.
Wang hosted the meeting with foreign ministers from Pacific island nations with diplomatic ties to China during a trip to the region, where Beijing’s ambitions for a broader security deal have caused concern among US allies.
A draft five-year communiqué and action plan sent by China to invited nations ahead of the meeting showed that the country is seeking a comprehensive regional trade and security agreement.
But the document provoked opposition from at least one of the invited nations, the Federated States of Micronesia, according to a letter leaked last week.
After the meeting, which included Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Niue and Vanuatu, Wang said the nations agreed on five areas of cooperation, but more discussions are needed to form more consensus.
Areas include economic recovery after the Covid pandemic and new centers for agriculture and disaster, but Wang did not list safety.
“China will release its own document on our positions and proposals for cooperation with Pacific island countries, and going forward we will continue to have ongoing, in-depth discussions and consultations to form more consensus on cooperation,” he told reporters in Fiji. Questions at the press conference were not allowed.
Wang said that some questioned China’s motives for being so active in the Pacific Islands, and his response was that the country has supported developing countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean as well.
“Don’t be too anxious and don’t be too nervous, because the common development and prosperity of China and all other developing countries would only mean greater harmony, greater justice and greater progress for the whole world,” he said.
Responding to questions after Wang’s briefing, China’s ambassador to Fiji, Qian Bo, said the attendees had agreed to discuss the draft communiqué and five-year plan “until we reach an agreement.”
“There was general support from the 10 countries with which we have diplomatic relations, but it is clear that there are some concerns on specific issues.”
Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama told reporters that Pacific nations are prioritizing consensus.
“The geopolitical score means little to anyone whose community is sinking at sea, whose job is being lost by the pandemic, or whose family is impacted by the rapid rise in commodity prices,” Bainimarama said.
In a written speech to the meeting, leader Xi Jinping said China will always be a good friend of Pacific island countries, no matter how the international situation changes, state-run CCTV reported.
pacific islands
Several invited nations want to delay action on the draft communiqué or amend it, an official from a Pacific country said.
The United States, Australia, Japan and New Zealand have expressed concern about a security pact signed by the Solomon Islands with China last month, fearing regional consequences and a Chinese military presence near Australia.
The new Australian government made the Pacific Islands an initial foreign policy priority to counter pressure from Beijing, sending the foreign minister to Fiji with the message that Australia would place a new priority on the region’s biggest security challenge, the climate change, and announcing a new visa program to allow Pacific Islanders to migrate.
In Honiara last week, Wang condemned interference in the deal and said the Solomon Islands’ relationship with China is a model for other Pacific island nations.
With borders closed across the region because of the Covid pandemic, most foreign ministers are attending the Fiji meeting via video conference.
In several Pacific countries, the foreign minister is also prime minister.
Wang will travel to the South Pacific kingdom of Tonga for a two-day visit on Tuesday (31).
Source: CNN Brasil

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