US Partners with Indo-Pacific Region, China Joins Hands with Pacific Island Nations

Wang Yi Officially Visits 8 Island Nations...Cooperative Partnership Instead of Predatory Economic Support
Frequent Chinese Military Entries into the Pacific...Following Liaoning, Two Frigates Conduct Training on the 23rd

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] China announced through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs that it will sign important bilateral agreements with the Solomon Islands, a South Pacific island nation. After U.S. President Joe Biden clearly expressed his intention to check China in the Indo-Pacific region, China also firmly declared its will to advance into the Pacific.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to state-run media such as Xinhua News Agency and Global Times on the 25th, Wang Yi, China's Foreign Minister, will officially visit eight countries including the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste from the 26th to June 4th.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Minister Wang will also preside over the "2nd China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting" in Fiji. The Ministry also stated that during Wang's visit to the Solomon Islands, there will be a signing ceremony for bilateral agreements between China and the Solomon Islands. The bilateral agreements mentioned by China are presumed to be related to the economy. China had previously signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands last month.

Manasseh Sogavare, Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, said, "The visit of the Chinese delegation will be a milestone in the relationship between the two countries," and added, "The Solomon Islands look forward to productive cooperation with China," suggesting that extensive economic cooperation between the two countries will take place.

Chinese media also expressed high expectations for Minister Wang's eight-country itinerary, noting that the scope of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and South Pacific island countries such as the Solomon Islands is broad and has great growth potential.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Chen Hong, a professor at East China Normal University in Shanghai, predicted that "China will import mineral resources and primary industrial products from South Pacific countries in exchange for supporting the construction of ports and roads," forecasting close economic cooperation between the two sides.

Wei Lei, a professor at Liaocheng University in Shandong Province, said, "China will provide cooperation methods that allow island countries to break away from colonial political and dependent economic models and support their genuine independence."

It is unusual for China to disclose Minister Wang's overseas schedule in detail in advance. This is interpreted as China revealing its Pacific economic cooperation card to counter the Quad (U.S., Japan, Australia, India) summit held the previous day.

Chinese media such as Global Times attempted to differentiate themselves by explaining why the support measures from the Western camp, including the U.S. and Australia, for Pacific island countries have not been welcomed by those countries.

Global Times cited experts saying that the U.S. and Australia have conducted economic aid programs that impose Western political systems and social governance, highlighting that China's cooperation method differs from that of the U.S. It emphasized that China will carry out mutually beneficial cooperation that respects the sovereignty of the island countries and supports what the local people need.

However, some voices in Beijing point out that there is a case where Sri Lanka, which adopted the Chinese-style economic growth model, declared a national default, warning that the economy could become dependent on China. Sri Lanka, which participated in China's economic territorial expansion project, the Belt and Road Initiative (一帶一路), recently declared debt default due to inability to manage its debt.

Meanwhile, as the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy is being concretized, the entry of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy into the Pacific is also increasing. Earlier this month, the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning conducted carrier-based aircraft takeoff and landing training in the Pacific, and on the 23rd, two Chinese 054A-class frigates passed through the Tsushima Strait and Miyako Strait respectively, entering the East China Sea and the Pacific.