Ten Pacific states are to sign it
China is endeavouring to get 10 small Pacific states to agree to a far-reaching agreement that covers everything from maritime security to fisheries. There is a risk that Beijing will use the agreement to seize control of the region. A draft of the agreement published by AP shows that China wants to train police officers for the Pacific region and expand co-operation in law enforcement.
China also wants to jointly develop a marine plan for fishing, including the lucrative tuna fishery in the Pacific. Cooperation in the operation of the Internet in the region is to be strengthened and cultural Confucius Institutes and classrooms are to be set up. China is also considering the possibility of establishing a free trade zone with the Pacific states. China's move comes as Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a 20-member delegation leave for a visit to the region this week.
Wang will visit seven of the countries he hopes will agree to the "Common Development Vision": the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.
Wang is also holding virtual meetings with the three other potential signatories - the Cook Islands, Niue and the Federated States of Micronesia. There are fears that China wants to control the region's fisheries and communications infrastructure.
The news will be particularly worrying for many in the region and beyond because China signed a separate security pact with the Solomon Islands last month. This pact has raised fears that China could deploy troops to the island nation or even establish a military base there, not far from Australia. The Solomon Islands and China claim there are no plans for a base.
No results are yet available from the meeting planned for 30 May 2022.
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