{"id":2481,"date":"2020-12-16T08:46:59","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T08:46:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=139864"},"modified":"2020-12-16T08:46:59","modified_gmt":"2020-12-16T08:46:59","slug":"the-taiwan-prize-and-the-us-china-rivalry-in-the-pacific","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2020\/12\/16\/the-taiwan-prize-and-the-us-china-rivalry-in-the-pacific\/","title":{"rendered":"The Taiwan \u2018prize\u2019 and the US-China rivalry in the Pacific"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"pf-content\">\n<p><strong>ANALYSIS:<\/strong><em> By Sheldon Chanel in Suva<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The uproar over the recent fisticuffs between Chinese and Taiwanese diplomats in Fiji may have subsided, with the Fijian police declaring the case closed, but the incident has left analysts in the Pacific concerned about what they called Beijing\u2019s increasingly hostile tactics in the region.<\/p>\n<p>The altercation took place on October 8 when Chinese diplomats <a href=\"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/2020\/10\/19\/chinese-diplomatic-gatecrash-incident-alleged-at-taiwan-event-in-suva\/\">tried to gatecrash<\/a> an event marking Taiwan\u2019s national day. Violence ensued and a Taiwanese diplomat was hospitalised with a head injury.<\/p>\n<p>Analysts say it was just one outcome of the intensifying geostrategic competition in the Pacific pitting China against the United States and its allies.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/2020\/10\/19\/chinese-diplomatic-gatecrash-incident-alleged-at-taiwan-event-in-suva\/\"><strong>READ MORE:<\/strong> Chinese diplomatic gatecrash incident alleged at Taiwan event inj Suva<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cWith the increased United States presence in the region, China is concerned about losing any hard-gained ground, especially over Taiwan,\u201d said Dr Shailendra Singh, head of the University of the South Pacific\u2019s (USP) journalism programme.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen the \u2018prize\u2019 is Taiwan, the stakes are very high and China will fight very hard,\u201d Dr Singh said.<\/p>\n<p>Ties between the US and China are at their lowest in decades over disputes ranging from trade, the coronavirus pandemic and Beijing\u2019s actions in Hong Kong, Xinjiang and the South China Sea.<\/p>\n<p>Amid the plummeting relations, Washington has stepped up its support for Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing considers a renegade province, recently approving the potential sale of more than $3 billion worth of arms to the territory.<\/p>\n<p data-inc=\"1\">The US-China rivalry in the Pacific \u2013 a region that is home to four of the 15 countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan \u2013 is also drawing in other Washington allies, including Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, according to Singh.<\/p>\n<p>The US and its allies are increasing development aid to the island nations of the Pacific to counter China\u2019s growing economic clout in the region, while a newly formed bipartisan caucus in the US Congress has introduced a draft law seeking to boost Washington\u2019s presence in the region.<\/p>\n<p>\n<iframe title=\"&#x1f1e6;&#x1f1fa; Australia courts Vanuatu to tackle China&#039;s influence | Al Jazeera English\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HVgy_swG950?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<em>China&#8217;s influence in the South Pacific. Video: Al Jazeera<\/em><\/p>\n<p>If passed, the Blue Pacific Act will allocate $1 billion in funding for each of the next five years with the aims of increasing maritime security cooperation as well as supporting regional economic and social development.<\/p>\n<p>China, meanwhile, is the third-largest donor to the region, behind Australia and New Zealand, and has used economic incentives such as grants and concessional loans to woo Pacific countries, including lobbying them to cut off relations with Taiwan.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8216;Dominant relationship&#8217;<\/strong><br \/>\nFor many analysts, the Taiwan-China kerfuffle in Fiji evoked memories of China\u2019s brazenness at the 2018 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG). That summit ended without a communique, a first in the forum\u2019s 30-year history, amid growing tensions between China and the US.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 680px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Taiwan-China kerfuffle in Fiji evoked memories of China\u2019s brazenness at the 2018 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Port Moresby. Map: Al Jazeera<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Throughout the meeting, the Chinese delegation was accused of trying to pressure the hosts and the others into acceding to their demands, with sections of the media describing Beijing\u2019s tactics as \u201ctantrum diplomacy\u201d.<\/p>\n<p data-inc=\"2\">This included unprecedented scenes with police called in following an attempt by the Chinese delegates to storm the PNG foreign minister\u2019s office, reportedly as part of a bid to influence the draft of the summit communique.<\/p>\n<p>PNG played down the 2018 incident, just as Fiji did this year, failing to rebuke or reprimand China\u2019s diplomats and the Fiji police closing the case by merely stating that two parties had resolved the matter \u201camicably\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>This has left China-watchers in the region worried that Beijing\u2019s increasingly \u201caggressive\u201d tactics to pursue its interests in the Pacific, including isolating Taiwan, may actually be working in its favour.<\/p>\n<p>Professor Vijay Naidu, a senior Fiji sociology academic, said China was able to get away with the clash over Taiwanese diplomats because of their \u201cdominant relationship\u201d with Suva.<\/p>\n<p>Fiji recognises the \u201cOne China\u201d policy and does not have formal relations with Taiwan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe assertive behaviour of the People\u2019s Republic of China is not new with regards to Taiwan,\u201d Dr Naidu said. \u201cBeijing sees Taiwan as a subordinate part of China, and in time, as is happening in Hong Kong, attempts will be made to make this a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-inc=\"3\">Dr Naidu said Pacific countries were mindful of not offending China given Beijing\u2019s significant economic clout. China\u2019s concessional loans and grants in the Pacific amounted to $1.5 billion between 2006 and 2017, compared with Taiwan\u2019s $271 million, according to figures from the Sydney-based Lowy Institute.<\/p>\n<p>That was why \u201ca tiff between diplomats of China and Taiwan is no big deal\u201d for the Pacific islands, said Naidu.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8216;Quid pro quo&#8217;<\/strong><br \/>\nAccording to Dr Sandra Tarte, head of school and director of politics and international affairs at the University of the South Pacific (USP), Taiwan has been a casualty of the strengthening relations between China and Fiji, particularly when Fiji was isolated following a coup in 2006 led by Voreqe Bainimarama, who was elected as prime minister in 2014 and again in 2018.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou could say it has been a kind of quid pro quo,\u201d said Dr Tarte. \u201cIn exchange for China\u2019s political and economic support, Fiji downgraded its ties with Taiwan, including closing its trade mission in Taipei and forcing the name change of the Taiwan trade office in Fiji.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>China\u2019s ongoing determination to further isolate Taiwan was evident last year when it tried to court Tuvalu, which turned down a $400 million offer from various Chinese companies to build artificial islands against rising sea levels.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, Tuvalu signed a historic investment agreement with the US in October, giving it access to debt and equity financing for infrastructure projects, seen as a reward for sticking with Taiwan.<\/p>\n<p data-inc=\"4\">\u201cFor Taiwan\u2019s other allies in the Pacific, who knows what will happen? But you can expect that the US \u2013 for one \u2013 will seek to ensure they remain tied to Taiwan and not be tempted to switch like Kiribati and Solomons recently did,\u201d Dr Tarte said.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 680px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/201110384712558734_20.jpeg\" alt=\"Al Jazeera map of Tuvalu\" width=\"680\" height=\"450\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">For Taiwan\u2019s other allies in the Pacific &#8211; such as Tuvalu &#8211; who knows what will happen? Map: Al Jazeera<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In addition to Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, Nauru and Palau maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan.<\/p>\n<p>Experts say that there is also the potential for foreign policy matters to affect local politics and cause instability, as seen in the Solomon Islands after it switched ties from Taiwan to China in December 2019.<\/p>\n<p>The country\u2019s largest province, Malaita, which remains loyal to Taiwan, has refused to recognise the switch and pledged to hold an independence vote, a move that the central government has rejected.<\/p>\n<p>China will also be a factor in the upcoming renegotiation of The Compacts of Free Association between the US and the Marshall Islands, Palau and Federated States of Micronesia. The Compacts have existed since the 1980s, giving the US military unfettered access to the region\u2019s waters, land and airspace in exchange for development assistance.<\/p>\n<p data-inc=\"5\"><strong>More leverage<\/strong><br \/>\nDr Gordon Nanau, a senior lecturer at USP\u2019s School of Government, Development and International Affairs, said China\u2019s presence meant the three Micronesian states had some leverage to extract more concessions from the US.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the recent past, USA indicated its interest to move into a trust fund kind of arrangement with its Micronesian friends, a move not really favoured by the Compact states,\u201d Dr Nanau said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith the increasing Chinese influence, I am sure the Compact states will have more space to negotiate a better arrangement or to continue with the current Compact arrangement with US.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He added that the \u201cimportant thing for all Pacific island states would be to properly understand and be able to manage each of these diplomatic relationships the best they could\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>These developments and ever-changing scenarios bring challenges and opportunities for Pacific Island countries, which have demonstrated a desire to ensure their unique development challenges are taken into account at the global level.<\/p>\n<p>They increasingly want to have a say in the programmes that are implemented in their names, supposedly for their benefit.<\/p>\n<p data-inc=\"6\">\u201cGiven the geopolitical interests of various powers in the region, we must not fall into the anti-Asian, anti-China, and anti-Taiwan prejudices and racism,\u201d said Professor Naidu.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is critical that [Pacific island countries] see what is in their best interest, meaning the interest of their citizens and not a few elements of the elite.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"aCOpRe\"><em>Sheldon Chanel<\/em> <em>is a freelance journalist based in Fiji and a graduate of the University of the South Pacific journalism programme. This article was originally published by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/features\/2020\/12\/16\/fiji-story\">Al Jazeera today<\/a> and has been republished with permission.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"syndicated-attribution\">This post was originally published on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/2020\/12\/16\/the-taiwan-prize-and-the-us-china-rivalry-in-the-pacific\/\">Radio Free<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ANALYSIS: By Sheldon Chanel in Suva The uproar over the recent fisticuffs between Chinese and Taiwanese diplomats in Fiji may have subsided, with the Fijian police declaring the\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[813,441,190,814,815,363,5,495,365,7,4,816,11,12,817,818,819],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2481"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2481"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2481\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2482,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2481\/revisions\/2482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}