Crocombe: China’s interest in Pacific region growing

China’s dominance in the Pacific can be expected in a decade or so, given its growing presence in many islands all over the region even now.

Visiting professor emeritus Ron Crocombe of the University of the South Pacific said that China’s interests in the islands have steadily grown over the years.

He cited the setting up of a Chinese embassy in Suva, Fiji, the recent decision to build a 24-hour English TV in American Samoa, and the growing presence of Chinese nationals and Chinese businesses in Pacific islands over the years.

“China has taken a major role [in the Pacific],” said Crocombe, a published author and speaker who has gained international reputation for his work on Pacific land tenure.

He said the interest displayed by China and other big economies in the Pacific is influenced by the island nations’ “international votes” as well as their rich natural resources, among others.

Small island nations in the Pacific are members of several international organizations and their votes of support for China, for example, on key issues would matter a lot. An example is China’s continued lobbying for international support on the Taiwan issue.

Crocombe said that China, along with Japan and Malaysia, are also interested in minerals, timber, and fishing opportunities on the islands.

“The richest seabed is found in Pacific islands,” he said.

During the question-and-answer portion of his presentation at the American Memorial Park Monday evening, Crocombe said this pattern of China’s growing presence could also be felt in the Marianas, particularly in the business sector. He said this trend would become even more pronounced in about 10 years.

He said that local governments and organizations should prepare now for this shift in paradigm. While Western countries, Australia, and New Zealand have dominated the islands, the trend now favors Asian countries, mainly East Asia—China, Japan, and Korea.

“We are at the center of a paradigm shift. …The big shift is to Asia. …An overwhelming influence would be from East Asia,” said Crocombe.

He said island economies should be prepared for opportunities that this shift would provide them as well as for the challenges it would create.

“It’s how well you coordinate and integrate,” he said.

Crocombe will soon publish a new 500-page book on trends—economic, social, cultural, and political—in Asia and the Pacific Islands.