BBCTonga’s quiet capital Nuku’alofa was abuzz with activity last week as leaders from across the Pacific region gathered for the annual Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders’ meeting.
Occasionally, police escorts would speed down the street, sirens blaring. On the hoods of their vehicles were small flags representing foreign delegations. There were China and Taiwan, the Union Jack and the United Nations.
All of them were only involved as interlocutors or observers. But they made a lot of noise. Their security force was larger than most of the 18 PIF member countries except New Zealand and Australia. According to sources, the Tongan palace seemed understaffed compared to the only guards that looked after the king.
Diplomats have been describing the meeting as exciting all week. But the underlying concern is that the interests of the delegation do not necessarily align with what the PIF leaders and their people want.
The PIF is made up of 18 member countries, mostly Pacific Island countries and Australia and New Zealand, but also includes representatives from around the world who want to play a role in situations of greater geopolitical importance in the region.
The big players are no longer just Australia and the United States. China is a rising power in the Pacific, a disruptive force.
Nuku’alofa almost collapsed under the pressure of all this attention. Outside one of the top hotels where the main delegation was staying, there was a billboard looking for staff. “No experience required – all positions,” it declared.
Inside the hotel, there were signs warning that Tonga was short on skilled labor and would not be able to serve the general public during the forum.
It was a timely warning about the “brain drain” that many Pacific nations are facing as people migrate to Australia and New Zealand in search of a better future.
At the forum itself, Australia scored an early win, announcing a A$400 million ($268 million, £204 million) Pacific Policing Initiative that aims to establish four centres in Brisbane and across the Pacific, as well as training local police to be deployed across the region in response to major disasters or large-scale events.
As soon as the plan was announced, a “hot mic” moment overshadowed it. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was caught on camera calling the deal “awesome” in a conversation with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. In a conversation that was not filmed, he even joked with Campbell about “cutting the cost in half.”
It was an awkward gaffe that made it quite clear that the police action had achieved a “victory” over China’s growing influence in the region, with Australia and its allies winning 1-0.
The competition is even more significant because Mr. Albanese’s speech took place in a Chinese-built auditorium. The Chinese influence on the island is clear. Next to the auditorium is a large piece of land that houses the royal tombs, which are currently being renovated with the help of China Aid, with a large sign outside. It’s a similar story across the Pacific.
But the conversation also supported concerns raised by the Vanuatu prime minister and the Melanesian leader that police operations could be more focused on excluding China than on the interests of Pacific island nations.
Mr. Albanese’s “cracker” comment was not the only controversy last week. The final statement released by PIF leaders on Friday afternoon reaffirmed a 1992 agreement allowing Taiwan to play a role in the forum’s leaders’ meetings. The statement was then deleted and republished, with the Taiwan reference removed. The PIF leaders were subsequently accused of bowing to Chinese pressure, but in fact claimed it was an administrative error.
Of the 18 Pacific Island Forum countries, only three have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. China is a “dialogue partner,” while Taiwan has been downgraded to a “development partner.”
What all this argument shows is that there is a very real competition brewing in the Pacific. Everyone wants to come to PIF, because everyone wants a piece of the region.
The problem is that while the superpowers are fighting for relevance, so are the Pacific Islands. The focus is on ensuring that those who participate in this forum engage in a Pacific way and engage for the benefit of the Pacific people.
A recent report from the Lowy Institute We’ve found that strategic competition can sometimes obscure people’s needs.
According to the report, “The Great Game of Pacific Island Nations,” “many of these economies are struggling to meet their basic development needs.”
“Great powers often prioritize projects that provide strategic benefits, such as communications, ports and military installations, or political dividends, such as stadiums and convention centers, over less visible and impressive projects.”
On the penultimate day, the leaders retreated on Vava’u Island, while the side events continued in Nuku’alofa. One of them was on the Pacific Resilience Facility, the first Pacific-led climate and disaster resilience financing fund headquartered in Tonga.
The event was attended by ministers and diplomats from member countries including Tonga, Tuvalu and Australia. There was great pride in the fund, with the expectation that it could be the answer to climate change across the region. Australia is the largest donor so far, contributing A$100 million. The United States, China and Saudi Arabia have also contributed, but the fund still totals just $137 million. That’s a long way from the $500 million target by 2026 and the $1.5 billion long-term goal.
“I think it’s harder to get funding for climate change,” Paulson Panapa, Tuvalu’s foreign affairs, labour and trade minister, told the BBC. “We want every donor to see both as very important to us.
“The Pacific islands are small, but powerful in many ways. They sit on oceans that cover one-third of the world’s surface. What happens in their waters will shape the future of the world politically, economically, and diplomatically. For better and for worse.”
