The Regional Security Pact with China has been rejected by ten Pacific Island Countries

In a high-profile diplomatic loss for Beijing, talks between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and leaders of the small island nations in Fiji failed to reach an accord.

China has offered to dramatically increase its activity in the South Pacific, thereby threatening the US and its allies’ dominance in the strategically important region.

The proposed pact would see Beijing train Pacific island police, become involved in cybersecurity, expand political ties, conduct sensitive marine mapping and gain greater access to natural resources on land and in the water.

As an enticement, Beijing is offering millions of dollars in financial assistance, the prospect of a potentially lucrative China-Pacific islands free trade agreement and access to China’s vast market of 1.4 billion people.

Behind the scenes, Pacific leaders have expressed serious reservations about the proposal.

The President of the Federated States of Micronesia, David Panuelo, warned fellow leaders in a recent letter that the offer was “disingenuous” and would “guarantee Chinese influence in government” and “economic domination” of critical industries.

Bainimarama slammed those who indulge in “geopolitical point-scoring” during a joint appearance with Wang.

It “means nothing to someone whose village is falling beneath the rising waters, whose employment has been lost due to a pandemic, or whose family has been affected by the quick rise in commodity prices,” he stated.

The Pacific Islands, with the exception of a handful, are all low-lying and extremely vulnerable to sea-level rises caused by climate change.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, President Xi Jinping addressed a message to the area before to the summit, saying that China will be “a good brother” to the region and that they shared a “single destiny.”