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Chinese Premier Wen arrives in Fiji

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao inspects an honor guard of Fijian soldiers in traditional white skirts after he arrived in the city of Nadi, Fiji, yesterday. PHOTO: AP

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) arrived in Fiji yesterday for talks with eight South Pacific nations that have diplomatic links to Beijing -- a trip one expert said was designed to cement China's influence in the region and freeze out Taiwan.

Wen was greeted by Fijian Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and an honor guard of Fijian soldiers in traditional white skirts known as a sulu when he arrived in the city of Nadi.

Wen was then driven to a luxury hotel for talks with Qarase and Fijian President Josefa Iloilo.

Today Wen is due to hold talks with other Pacific island leaders whose governments have diplomatic relations with China.

The decision to exclude impoverished South Pacific countries that have relations with Taiwan is the latest round in what experts sometimes refer to as "dollar diplomacy" between Beijing and Taipei.

Susan Windybank, a Pacific expert at the Centre for Independent Studies, an Australian think tank, said China's interest in the region -- which is rich in primary resources but offers no major economic benefits to China -- was focused largely on Taiwan.

"It's laying the foundation for a new regional order where Beijing is seen as the natural leader and the United States and its allies are kind of outsiders."

Susan Windybank, a Pacific expert at the Centre for Independent Studies, an Australian think tank

"There is no doubt that the increased Chinese activity, which has translated into greater influence, does have a component in trying to combat Taiwanese influence in the region," Windybank said in a telephone interview.

"You could call it a kind of Pacific Cold War between China and Taiwan," she said.

China has diplomatic ties with seven countries in the South Pacific, including Fiji, the Cook Islands, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu. It also has ties with the tiny coral atoll of Niue, a self-governing nation administered by New Zealand.

Taiwan in turn is recognized by Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

But some of those countries, including Kiribati and Nauru, have switched allegiances several times in recent years in apparent attempts to generate more aid.

Windybank believes the diplomatic volleyball has been damaging to the Pacific.

"They've more or less resorted to bribery via aid to get the allegiance of countries," she said. "That's just exacerbated the problems of corruption in the Pacific and has done very little to help the underlying development problems that urgently need addressing."

But China's interest in the region extends beyond Taiwan, Windybank said.

By securing the allegiance of South Pacific nations, China can effectively create a large voting bloc in the UN and other international organizations where each country is given a vote, regardless of its size, Windybank said.

This would help Beijing to freeze out Taiwan and raise China's influence worldwide.

"It's laying the foundation for a new regional order where Beijing is seen as the natural leader and the United States and its allies are kind of outsiders," she said.

After talks with Qarase, Wen was to sign a number of bilateral agreements promising aid for a hydroelectric power station, as well as promoting cooperation on exports and agriculture.

Today, Wen is scheduled to attend a traditional Fijian welcome ceremony and meet individually with the leaders of Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Micronesia, Tonga, the Cook Islands, Niue and Samoa.

He then flies to New Zealand, where he is expected to meet with New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark to discuss a free-trade deal between the two countries. He is to wrap up his trip on Saturday in Cambodia.
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