China has failed in its attempt to reach a security and trade deal with Pacific Island nations at a meeting in Fiji. But even though this proposal fell short, it contains elements that remain relevant to the region.
The multilateral proposal, first reported by Reuters, also covers policing, cybersecurity, maritime surveillance, fishing rights and the creation of a free-trade area.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in the middle of a trip to eight Pacific Island nations that have diplomatic ties with China.
Besides Fiji, he and his delegation will visit Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor.
Wang started his trip in the Solomon Islands, a country that recently signed its own security deal with China.
Australia, the United States, Japan and New Zealand have voiced their objections to the deal. They fear it could upset regional security and give China a military foothold in the Pacific.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the U.S. was aware of Wang's plans and was "concerned that these reported agreements may be negotiated in a rushed, non-transparent process."
The draft document states that China and the Pacific islands will "strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the fields of traditional and non-traditional security."
Price says Washington respected the ability of regional countries to make sovereign decisions in the best interests of their people.
