China in the Pacific: some policy considerations for Australia and New Zealand

The Peoples Republic of China (PRC), Taiwan, and peoples of Chinese ancestry resident in the Pacific Islands have figured prominently in news items concerning the Pacific in recent years.2 In April 2006, postelection violence erupted in the Solomon Islands’ capital, Honiara, following the declaration of the Deputy Prime Minister of the unpopular out-going government, Snyder Rini, as the new Prime Minster. Much of Honiara’s Chinatown was burned and looted. The purchase of votes through use of Chinese money was seen by many as a major reason for the government’s retention of power (Kabutaulaka 2006: 424; Dobell 2007: 10, 1819). In November 2006, most of Nuku’alofa’s commercial heart was destroyed by rioters angered at the Legislative Assembly going into recess for the year without voting on proposals for major democratic reforms to Tonga’s parliamentary system, which effectively excludes the majority commoner population from a say in government. Again, Chinese businesses were among the targets, and strong anti-Chinese sentiment was apparent among the perpetrators (People’s Daily Online, November 17, 2006). While longer-term Chinese residents in both countries have long been prominent in local business activities and built constructive relationships with local peoples, these two incidents fuelled mounting concern within the region about the impact of recent Chinese arrivals. Recently arrived Chinese business people are often involved in short-term extractive industries such as logging and are seen to be less sensitive than longterm Chinese residents to local community needs. A number of recent arrivals have been linked to criminal activities. These disturbances were also linked by many commentators to rivalry between Taiwan and the PRC for influence among Pacific Island nations, and particularly to how ‘cheque-book’ diplomacy was destabilizing domestic and regional politics. Order was only restored in both the Solomon Islands and Tonga by troops and police from Australia and New Zealand, and smaller numbers from several other Pacific Island nations in the case of the Solomon Islands. There is the contribution of ausaid to this series is acknowledged with appreciation. discussion Paper 2007/4 State, Society and Governance in melanesia the auStralian national uniVerSity