OPINION: By abandoning diplomatic caution in the Pacific, China is no longer able to disguise its true intentions.
It is not just material power that matters in international politics but how cleverly one wields it compared with other nations. The People’s Liberation Army has not fought a war since 1979, when Vietnamese forces more than held their own against the Chinese invaders.The PLA is increasingly present and active in the Taiwan Straits and the East and South China seas. It has a military base in Djibouti which is strategically located on the Horn of Africa.
For example, when ramping up its military modernisation efforts in the early 2000s, Beijing promised its purpose was simply to dissuade Taiwan from unilaterally declaring independence rather thanInstead of urging countries not to sign agreements with China, we need to offer them an alternative. After the announcement of the wide-ranging security deal with China in April, Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare
Some are still putting pen to paper on deals covering a range of issues. But their personal and political motivations in doing so will be more closely examined. To hold on to power, they will need to justify giving Beijing direct influence over domestic security, industry, or surveillance of populations.why they are prepared to conclude agreements with irreversible strategic and security consequences.
However, it is not necessarily a matter of simply outspending China. Helping these countries to secure their EEZs can be better aligned with economic and development goals of assisting them with the responsible and sustainable exploitation of the ocean economy in ways which create well-paid jobs and benefit local populations.
The broader point is for Australia and its allies to immediately prioritise those Pacific states with whom we can forge deeper security and economic relations.
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