Southward ho

If you think China’s growing global presence is driven by the logic of resource security, think again. Amidst China’s rising economic and political profile in the tiny island states of the South Pacific, it is difficult to make the argument that Beijing is eyeing the resources of the region.

The fact is that China has acquired the intellectual capacity to appreciate the geopolitical importance of different regions of the world and develop specific diplomatic initiatives aimed at raising Beijing’s influence in far-flung regions.

High-level political visits, targeted economic aid and sustained military diplomacy have within a few years made Beijing the preferred partner in much of the South Pacific. Washington, Tokyo and Canberra suddenly find themselves outmanned and outgunned in the South Pacific.

India might have had a longer and deeper association with the South Pacific, especially in Fiji. But New Delhi’s security establishment is too stretched to develop a long-term geopolitical strategy to seemingly remote regions.

The writer is a Professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore