{"id":672889,"date":"2022-05-26T12:48:53","date_gmt":"2022-05-26T12:48:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/?p=74655"},"modified":"2022-05-26T12:48:53","modified_gmt":"2022-05-26T12:48:53","slug":"kiribati-forced-to-allow-china-visit-on-pacific-mission-says-journalist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2022\/05\/26\/kiribati-forced-to-allow-china-visit-on-pacific-mission-says-journalist\/","title":{"rendered":"Kiribati \u2018forced\u2019 to allow China visit on Pacific mission, says journalist"},"content":{"rendered":"
RNZ Pacific<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n A Pacific journalist believes the Kiribati government has been coerced by Beijing to accommodate China’s foreign minister’s visit.<\/p>\n Kiribati authorities have confirmed that Wang Yi would briefly stopover to meet President Taneti Maamau as part of his Pacific-wide tour.<\/p>\n Journalist Rimon Rimon said the government had been “very secretive” and “people are frustrated and angry” after only learning about the trip via a Facebook post.<\/p>\n Rimon said Kiribati was grappling with a covid-19 outbreak and with the borders closed it was a change in practice by the government to oblige Beijing’s request.<\/p>\n “I think there has been some kind of pressure from Beijing. Only last night I had confirmation from a source from Beijing that before they travelled Kiribati was finally on the list,” he said.<\/p>\n “So, I finally understood that there had been some pressures and our government has submitted to those pressures.”<\/p>\n Rimon said a deal with Kiribati had more significance for China, as Beijing had already demonstrated its willingness to develop Kiribati’s northernmost island, Kanton Island<\/a>, which has strategic military potential.<\/p>\n Kiribati government ‘reluctant’<\/strong> “But I have no doubt this is, this is the number one thing on China’s agenda. How our government will respond to that or accommodate that. I have no idea of that,” he said.<\/p>\n\n
\n“And I think China is pursuing that. I think our government is quite reluctant on something military-wise, based on the narrative that the government has been saying throughout the years.<\/p>\n