Page 6 - IB JAN 2019

We Say

Austalian Prime Minister Scott Morrisson on a selfie pose with his Fijian host during his visit to Fiji Photo: Fiji Department of Information

No more tokens please

Australia needs to treat the Pacific with a little more respect

THE flying visit by Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, this The Chinese have remained silent on human rights abuse in
month through Fiji and Vanuatu has been hailed as the beginning Fiji and defended Bainimarama’s unabashed attempt to replicate
of a new era in regional détente. a one-party government in which he has full control of the law,
It was the first bi-lateral visit made by an Australian prime resources and the people.
minister in more than 20 years – a period in which China has Fiji’s increased belligerence on matters of international trade,
increased its sphere of influence throughout the Pacific. regional relations, human rights and governance have as much
At this point in geo-political relations, Beijing can argue that it to do with the psyche of its ruler as it has to do with the tacit
probably has the ears of every Pacific leader while Canberra can support of China, Indonesia and its new-found northern friends.
no longer claim to have such an audience. Australia has found itself with Fiji and Indonesia to the north
With China and India increasing their economic powers and and east, an unstable Papua New Guinea next door and the
political influence and a belligerent heavily armed neighbour – possibility of a Chinese electronic listening
Indonesia – on its northern border, Australia has been forced Fiji - Australia post in Vanuatu.
into its current position. Vuvale It is into this arc of instability that Mor-
Australia has been forced to return to its eastern neighbours rison stepped this month bearing gifts of
for whom it was Big Brother post-World War II until John Howard increased labour mobility, the easing of
decided to play global policeman with the United States. export restrictions on yaqona, more funding for border security
Fiji’s Frank Bainimarama is not the first leader of his country and civil police and a shot in the arm of AUD17m (USD12.13m)
to turn the nation’s focus north after being for television broadcast services.
rebuffed by the Australians for the illegal On the back of this initiative rode the so-called Fiji-Australia
Afloat in takeover of an elected government. Vuvale (Family) Partnership – which will allow for annual meet-
Chinese loan In 1987 Sitiveni Rabuka sought alliances ings between leaders and supposedly take relations beyond
with Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea diplomacy.
in order to equip his burgeoning military It is possibly a new form of mate-ship often touted as an
which plays an unsupervised influence over national politics. Australian concept, in this case one founded through the blood,
As Rabuka mellowed and moved from military ruler to states- sweat toil and tears of defending the British Empire in two world
man, he courted the Commonwealth and warmed previously wars and several armed conflicts around the globe.
frozen relationships with Australia and New Zealand. Recently it has come to light that Australia will invite selected
In 2006 with Chinese acquiescence, Bainimarama overthrew Melanesian church leaders on a cultural tour as it actively pursues
Laisenia Qarase’s elected government and – when reprimanded ecclesiastical relations with the region’s largest constituency –
by Australia and New Zealand – threw in his lot with Beijing and around nine million members of Christian churches.
was accepted with open arms. This is a major departure from its past refusal to engage with
Chinese loans have kept the Fijian economy afloat as resources church leadership, claiming this would breach the rights of non-
– bauxite, timber and fish – flow north along President Xi Jinping’s Christians who make up less than three per cent of the population.
One Belt, One Road alternative to the ancient Silk Route. There is a prima facie argument that Australia has made

6 Islands Business, January 2019