‘Not here’: Fiji PM firmly opposes Chinese military base in Pacific

SYDNEY: Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka made it clear that his nation stands inflexibly against the creation of a Chinese military base in the Pacific, calling on regional leaders to take a unified posture on upholding peace and authority amid mounting geopolitical pressures.

“Not Fiji”: Rabuka rejects Chinese base amid rising tensions

Addressing the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, Prime Minister Rabuka rebuffed the necessity for any external military base in the Pacific, specifically one that is supported by China. “If they want to come, who would welcome them?” he asked, “not Fiji,” he adamantly added.

According to a recent Reuters report, Rabuka said Beijing had already established its military scope without physical stations, alluding to China’s current transnational air-to-air missile test that hovered over Fiji before mooring in international waters. He stated that Pacific leaders are steering a tough balancing act — preserving impartiality and noninvolvement and sidestepping the mess of being caught in the crossfire in the escalating enmity between China and the United States.

Rising influence, regional concerns

The Pacific Islands, tactically positioned between Asia and the U.S., are becoming a focal point of international power struggles. China already has a security agreement with the Solomon Islands and has amplified its monitoring presence across numerous Pacific countries.

Still, Rabuka avowed that such alliance must respect local authority. “Their coast guard must observe our sovereignty, our sovereign waters,” he said. Infrastructure alliances with China, he noted, should not weaken Fiji’s dealings with Australia, New Zealand, or the U.S.

Call for unity: “Ocean of Peace” treaty in the works

To meet and deal with escalating external pressures, Rabuka is encouraging an “Ocean of Peace” agreement, an arrangement intended to preserve regional harmony and discard bullying manoeuvres by key powers. He said the pact would guarantee that economic, security, and political advantages in the Pacific are not gained via terrorization or external intrusion.

The suggestion will be brought before the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum at its subsequent conference in September. Rabuka is optimistic that the agreement will serve as a foundation for a diplomatic and collaborative future in the region, one where Pacific countries can plan their own futures, plot their own course, unrestricted from the commands and prescriptions of controlling interlopers.