The China Alternative. Changing Regional Order in the Pacific Islands

ABSTRACT

The presence of China poses a challenge to the dominance of Western powers and their allies, who have set the agenda in the Pacific since the end of the Second World War. [...]today, the region has been characterised by (post-)colonial power structures. In her opening remarks, Dame Meg Taylor clearly states that the Pacific Island states regard the presence of China in the region as a positive development because it gives PIF countries access to markets, technology, financing and infrastructure. The Boe Declaration of the PIF meeting in 2018, which states that "climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific" (ix) - is the principal element of efforts by Pacific Island state leaders to implement the "Blue Pacific" concept and stands in stark contrast to the environmental and security policy of PIF member country Australia as well as that of the previous Trump administration. In Australia alone, economic damage caused each year by Beijing's punitive actions in response to bans on Huawei equipment (Australia excludes the Chinese company from the country's 5G roll-out) and COVID-19 demands (Canberra's call for an independent investigation into the origins of the virus) runs into the billions annually.