The Chinese government's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Hua Chunying, recently tweeted that Foreign Minister (FM) Wang Yi's meeting with the President of Kiribati was successful.
Chunying added that Wi's meeting with Kiribati's leadership demonstrates that the "world is on China's side and that Kiribati is on the right side of history."
"Wang Yi said China is the most reliable friend of developing countries," Chunying tweeted, "We will continue to speak up for and firmly safeguard the legitimate rights & interests of developing countries, especially small & medium-sized developing countries."
Yi's meeting with Kiribati leadership was part of a recent mission to ten Pacific Island countries focused on consolidating the region under a deal that would provide China access to the region's land, sea and digital infrastructure in exchange for development, scholarships and training programs.
However, Yi was unable to persuade all 10 of the Pacific Island countries to sign an omnibus deal, as leaders requested more time to review the proposal and voiced skepticism about the final outcome, according to a CBS report.
While Yi did not obtain the signatures he desired on the main deal, he did obtain a number of minor agreements.
One of these agreements includes a security pact with the Solomon Islands that will enable Chinese military personnel to defend Chinese interests or suppress unrest, as well as build a port that may be utilized for commercial or military reasons.
The New York Times (NYT) reports the Chinese government has big plans for the almost 30,000 countries that make up the Pacific Islands, which encompass an area three times the size of the United States' continental borders
The NYT reports that If China, which has already begun operations in the region, is successful in developing additional ports, airports and outposts, it will be able to intercept American communications and restrict shipping routes more easily.
The NYT also reports that the United States has been mostly absent from development efforts in the region since its post-World War II efforts, with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken being first secretary of state in to visit Fiji in 36 years.
“China is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to do it,” Blinken stated.
David Panuelo, President of the Federated States of Micronesia, referred to Wang's proposed agreement as "the single most game-changing proposed agreement in the Pacific in any of our lifetimes" and stated that China's involvement in the region "threatens to bring a new Cold War era at best, and a world war at worst."
