In a draft acquired by the Associated Press, China has revealed a proposed agreement with 10 other Pacific nations to control industry and security in the area. With this “Common Development Vision,” China would be able to train police, manage fisheries, and set up schools in each nation.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi and 20 other delegates have already visited seven Pacific countries: Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea.
Three additional nations, the Cook Islands, Niue, and the Federated States of Micronesia, are also on China’s radar for the agreement.
However, the President of Micronesia, David Panuelo, has stated that his country will not enter the proposed deal.
He reasons that joining the “Common Development Vision” would disrupt relations in the Pacific and lead to less stability. Panuelo said the agreement “threatens to bring a new Cold War era at best, and a World War at worst.”
Micronesia is closely associated with the United States through the Compact of Free Association.
In late April, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare aligned the Soloman Islands with China through a security pact agreement. It proved to be a heavily scrutinized move, with leaders from Australia and New Zealand opposing the pact.
“We are concerned about the lack of transparency with which this agreement has been developed, noting its potential to undermine stability in our region,” Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said.
The pact allows China to send over military assistance to the Soloman Islands; however, the nation claims that China will never be allowed to build a military base on the islands.
Spokesperson Ned Price from the U.S State Department expressed his unease over the expansion of Chinese presence in the Pacific.
“We are concerned that these reported agreements may be negotiated in a rushed, nontransparent process,” Price stated.
The AP also obtained another document from Chinese officials detailing how China will influence these nations within the next five years. China is seeking to provide 2,500 government scholarships, build forensics labs, and give aid for COVID-19 and healthcare.
