By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
They used to be mere footnotes to diplomatic policies. Cold-shouldered by the world’s superpowers and left out of strategic discussions, the Pacific islands navigated their affairs in isolation. Then China barged in, bringing Trojan horses and pledging love the West didn’t give.
Beijing rendered police support to the Solomon Islands and Kiribati after snatching their allegiance from Taiwan in 2019. China offered to build infrastructures in Vanuatu and the Federated States of Micronesia.
The United States and its allies began taking heed and wooing the region, which has since become the dead center of strategic competition. This year, China won another trophy: Nauru.
The previously underestimated Pacific islanders now stand tall, recognizing the newfound power they hold.
“We may be small island countries, but as the Blue Pacific Continent, we are a force to be reckoned with,” Baron Waqa, the Pacific Islands Forum's secretary general, said at the opening of the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum in Nuku’alofa, Tonga last month.
World leaders paid attention to the gathering of island leaders in Tonga, aware of the Forum’s growing influence that could engender a historical shift.
“We are the center of strategic geopolitical interest. We are at the forefront of the battle against climate change and its impacts,” Waqa said.
Regional stability is currently threatened by the escalating tension between China and Taiwan, the raging competition between Washington and Beijing, and the colonized territories’ growing discontent with their administering countries.
The Pacific islands are glued by their common cultural identities, creating a kind of bond absent in Western blocs. They have pooled their strengths to build a force that the world’s superpowers now can’t ignore.
The Forum consists of 18 member states. The United States acknowledges the Forum as “a force to be reckoned with,” hence the State Department’s move to endorse Guam’s and American Samoa’s bid for associate membership. Though both territories’ have no voting power as associate members, their status upgrades bring the United States’ foot in the Forum’s door.
As the Forum’s new head, however, Waqa won’t allow the Pacific islands to perpetuate their pawn status. “We need to remain vigilant on issues of regional security and we must ensure that these respond to national and regional needs,” he said. “We own the strategic potential of our collective, and together, reaffirm that we act together from a position of strength. We must not forget this.”
An Aug. 22 report by the Australian think tank Lowy Institute warned that the Pacific island region is poised for more geopolitical shocks that could disrupt its political, economic, and security landscapes and strain regional cohesion.
“The Pacific’s geopolitical landscape is increasingly competitive and dynamic. The previous dominance of Australia, the United States and New Zealand as political and development partners is being directly challenged by China, states the report titled “The Great Game in the Pacific Islands” authored by Mihai Sora, Jessica Collins and Meg Keen. “In the words of Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Canberra and its partners are locked in a ‘state of permanent contest’ with Beijing over influence in the region.”
Sora, Collins and Keen noted that bigger nations competing for dominance recognize the geographic, diplomatic and natural resource attributes of the Pacific island region, each seeking to maximize its own stake while blocking another’s ambitions.
“The proximity of Pacific island countries to key maritime routes has historically attracted the attention of global powers. In addition, the region’s vast exclusive economic zones encompass globally valuable assets, from fisheries to seabed minerals,” the author said.
“Maritime domain awareness is critical in this region because of its location between Asia, North America and Australia. Who exercises control over transport routes, telecommunications assets, critical infrastructure and the region’s bountiful resources is of strategic importance to the major powers, as are the governance norms that underpin the associated transnational institutions, such as the Pacific Islands Forum," they added.
In terms of regional security, Sora, Collins and Keen predicted that the region will remain significant in the defense strategies of major powers. “The interests of great powers in the Pacific are driven by a combination of rivalry, geography, resource access, diplomatic advantage and historical legacy,” they said. “The location of Pacific Island countries provides advantages for monitoring and controlling naval movements across the Pacific.”
But the Forum has no interest in geopolitics. Its goal focuses on ensuring that island nations and territories can secure prosperity for future generations.
The Forum seeks better and long-term deals. “We need to integrate resilience as a matter of priority across all policy and implementation processes, most especially in sectors that relate to our people – primarily health and education,” Waqa said.
The 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, launched two years ago, sets a “collective vision” for the region. “The 2050 Strategy is our commitment to ensure that we will not leave our future to chance and that together, we will be stronger and more resilient,” Waqa said. “We call on all our partners to engage with us, to support our vision and our priorities.”
Sora, Collins and Keen noted the clarity of the Pacific islands’ goal for its future. “They are pushing traditional partners such as Australia and the United States to move beyond donor-recipient relationships toward more balanced partnerships that reduce aid dependency and promote economic development.”
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