BBCTonga’s capital Nuku’alofa was abuzz last week as leaders from the Pacific region flocked to it for the annual Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders’ Meeting.
Every now and then, police escorts ran through their streets, sirens blaring. On the bonnet of the cars, small flags indicate the foreign delegations. China and Taiwan were visible, along with the Union Jack and the United Nations.
All participated only as conversation partners or observers. But they made a lot of noise. Their security detail was greater than that of most of the 18 PIF members, except New Zealand and Australia. The Tongathi Palace looked low compared to only one guard looking after the King, according to sources.
Throughout the week, diplomats have called this meeting interesting – but the concern is that the interests of these groups are not aligned with what the leaders of the PIF or its people want.
The PIF has 18 members – the majority of which are Pacific Island countries and Australia and New Zealand – but delegates from around the world are also participating, willing to play a role in the region, which takes on great political importance.
The big players are no longer just Australia and the US. China is a rising power in the Pacific and it is the one causing the ructions.
Nuku’alofa almost buckled under the pressure of all this interest. Outside one of the luxury hotels, where the big delegates were staying, there was a notice board looking for staff – stating “no experience required – all positions”.
Inside the hotel, another notice warned that Tonga is facing a shortage of skilled workers and will not be able to serve the public during the forum.
It was a fitting reminder of the “brain drain” many Pacific nations face as their people leave for Australia and New Zealand for a better future.
At the forum itself, Australia scored an early victory when it announced the A$400m ($268m; £204m) Pacific Policing Initiative which aims to set up a police training center in Brisbane and four centers across the Pacific. It will also train regional officials to be deployed across the region for major disasters or major events.
As soon as the program was announced, it was covered by a “hot” moment. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was caught on camera calling the deal a “cracker” in an interview with US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. In an interview he didn’t think was being recorded, he even joked with Mr Campbell about “thinking about the cost”.
It was an unfortunate gaffe that made it clear that the police action was a “win” against China’s growing influence in the region – 1-0 to Australia and its friends.
The fact that Mr. Albanese’s words were said in a hall built by the Chinese makes this contest even more important. The Chinese influence on the island is clear. Next to the hall is a large area that houses the Royal Cemetery, which is currently being repaired with the help of China Aid with large signs outside. It’s the same story across the Pacific.
But the discussion also supported reservations made by Vanuatu’s Prime Minister and the head of the Melanesian Spearhead Group that the police operation could be seen as more about cutting off China than focusing on interests in the Pacific Islands.
Mr Albanese’s “cracker” comments were not the only controversy last week. In the final statement issued by PIF leaders on Friday afternoon, there was a reaffirmation of the 1992 agreement that allows Taiwan to participate in the forum’s leaders’ meetings. The communique was then withdrawn and resubmitted, removing the reference to Taiwan. That then led to allegations that PIF leaders gave in to pressure from China even though they suggested it was actually a management error.
Of the 18 countries in the Pacific Islands Forum, only three have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. While China is a “dialogue partner” Taiwan is a “development partner”, which is a step down in importance.
What all these conflicts show is the real competition in the Pacific. Everyone wants to come to PIF because everyone wants a piece of the region.
The thing is, while the superpowers are struggling to keep up, so are the Pacific Islands. There is a real emphasis on ensuring that those who participate in this forum do so in a Pacific way – and for the benefit of Pacific people.
A recent report by the Lowy Institute He found that strategic competition sometimes forgets people’s needs.
“Many of these economies are struggling to meet basic development needs,” according to the report titled ‘The Great Game in the Pacific Islands’.
“Great powers tend to prioritize projects that bring strategic benefits such as telecommunications, ports and military bases, or political benefits such as stadiums and convention centers, over less visible projects.”
The day before, the leaders fled to the island of Vava’u. Meanwhile in Nuku’alofa, side events continued. One was the Pacific Resilience Facility, the first Pacific-led climate and disaster fund to be headquartered in Tonga.
Those present at the event were ministers and ambassadors of member countries including Tonga, Tuvalu and Australia. There was great pride in this fund as it was expected that this would be the answer to support climate change concerns across the region. Australia has been the largest donor to date, with A$100m. The US, China and Saudi Arabia also contributed but the fund still only has $137m in total – a long way from its target of US$500m by 2026 and the long-term goal of US$1.5bn.
“I think it’s very difficult to get funding for climate change,” Paulson Panapa, Tuvalu’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Labor and Trade told the BBC. “We want all sponsors to treat both of them as very important as it is important to us.
“The Pacific Islands are small but in many ways they are powerful. These nations sit on an ocean that covers a third of the world – what happens in their waters – politically, economically, socially will change the future of the world – both for good and for bad.”
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