Pacific leader blasts Beijing's rushed attempt to strike pact
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SUVA (Fiji) • China's attempt to strike a wide-ranging economic and security pact in the strategically important Pacific region fell apart in May because of Beijing's rushed attempts at diplomacy.
The head of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) held this week in Fiji said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had come to the region with an "outcomes document" already prepared, before any meetings had taken place with regional leaders themselves.
"It was that that our members reacted against. Because the thing is, if anybody knows what we want and what we need and what our priorities are, it's not other people - it's us," PIF secretary-general Henry Puna said at a briefing in Suva on Thursday.
Beijing attempted to strike a sweeping deal with 10 Pacific nations during a rare visit to the region by Mr Wang in May, but the proposal was shelved after pushback from regional leadership.
At the time, Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said any new regional agreements had to be made through a consensus agreement among Pacific nations.
Competition for diplomatic influence in the Pacific between China and US allies has been intensifying in recent months.
Both Australia and New Zealand have a long history of close relations with the Pacific region, which they rely on for their economic and strategic security. However, Beijing has been rapidly expanding its influence there in recent years.
The news of China striking a security agreement with the Solomon Islands in April sent shockwaves through Canberra and Washington.
Since then, both have escalated their outreach to the Pacific, with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attending the Pacific Islands Forum this week and US Vice-President Kamala Harris addressing the gathering remotely.
Speaking after the Forum meeting in Fiji, Mr Albanese said he believes Australia's influence in the region has been "enhanced" as a result of the gathering. "I went along, I said I would listen. We did listen. I said I'd show respect. I did show respect," he said.
After speaking with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare at the forum on Wednesday, Mr Albanese said he is "very confident" there would not be a Chinese military base in the Solomons in the future.
While no communique has been released yet from the meeting, regional leaders said one was agreed to unanimously.
BLOOMBERG
