Fiji's Prime Minister wants to see closer co-operation with Australia

SBS Australia

3 days ago

Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is paying a visit to Australia. In his speech at the National Press Club in Canberra, he called for Australia to sign a formal treaty with Fiji as a way of strengthening co-operation between the two countries. But that is only one layer of the diplomatic canvas to this relationship in what seem to be unstable times.
"Unfortunately for now I contest the outlook is more uncertain that any time since independence 1970."
Australia and Fiji already have the Vuvale partnership, which uses the Fijian word for 'family' and signals a commitment to closer co-operation. But Fiji's Prime Minister says he wants to go further in this friendship. "Perhaps we have reached a point in our Fiji-Australian relationship where our renewed and elevated Vuvale partnership needs a further step up to an agreement or treaty." The 76-year-old says a treaty, which would incorporate development assistance, would secure ties beyond what he called "the political whims of winning parties" in elections in both countries. Mr Rabuka is even open to its citizens filling the ranks of Australia's military. The news come as Canberra is pursuing a defence treaty with Papua New Guinea that would make its citizens eligible to serve in the Australian Defence Force. But the contest for influence involves also other players across the Pacific. And as the battle for regional supremacy in defence unfolds, Mr Rabuka rules out hosting any Chinese military base.
"I do not believe that China would even need a base in the Pacific.They have proven that they do not need a base outside China to be able to launch what they have into any other area of the world. They can go east of China and far go as far east in America as they like, or go west and go far to the furthest point in Europe as they like. So there is really no need for them to set up any other bases in the Pacific."
SBS reporter Anna Henderson was at the National Press club and asked the Fijian Prime Minister about the country's relationship with China. HENDERSON: "What security role do you see China playing in Fiji?"RABUKA: "Right now we are having to cope with a China that is big and has gotten powerful and would probably like to spread its influence to the Pacific. The Pacific leaders in all the recent discussions have tried to go for policies that are friendly to all and enemy to none. It is a fairly tough goal to steer, but it is possible." It comes at a time when the region is feeling the pressure over preparations to deal with China's ambitions in Taiwan.
The island of Taiwan is the subject of a geopolitical dispute between the Republic of China, which controls it, and the People's Republic of China - mainland China - which claims it as part of its territory.
Mr Rabuka says the world has to plan ahead for a possible escalation on the conflict in the region. "We have to plan on yes, on the possibility of it happening, and those that can be involved need to be planning already in that area. I think China is ready, I think the rest of the world is also ready." But while in Australia, Fiji's prime minister made a point of showing his ties with the country. He brought a bottle of wine made from grapes grown in South Australia and said he was committed to increasing economic opportunities between the two countries.
"We have a Fiji winemaker using Barossa grapes"
The relationship ageing well, but the challenges are mounting.