The Foreign Minister of China is currently on a diplomatic tour of ten Pacific Island Countries (PICs), co-hosting the Second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers Meeting with Fiji. This visit draws attention to the strategic significance of the PICs in global geopolitics and the increasing influence of China in the region.
Understanding Pacific Island Countries (PICs)
Located largely in the Pacific Ocean between Asia, Australia, and the Americas, the PICs comprise 14 states: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. These islands, while small and sparsely populated, hold significant economic and strategic potential due to their wide geographical spread and large Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).
Economic and Strategic Importance of PICs
The PICs are bifurcated into three distinct parts — Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia — based on physical and human geography. Despite their limited land area, the extensive EEZs of these islands possess considerable resources, including fisheries, energy, minerals, and other marine wealth. Consequently, nations like Kiribati and FSM have larger EEZs than India. The PICs also play critical roles in power rivalries, functioning both as springboards for power demonstration and strategic capability development. They have historically been sites of nuclear weapon testing due to their remoteness from major population centers.
Relation Between China and PICs
China views the PICs as instrumental to its maritime expansion strategy, as they lie beyond China’s ‘First Island Chain’. Control over these ‘Far Seas’ will solidify China’s position as a formidable Navy power. China’s desire to influence PICs is also spurred by the emergence of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue as a significant force in the Indo-Pacific against China and the existence of Taiwan, which China considers a wayward territory. China has gained diplomatic recognition from 10 out of the 14 PICs so far, a strategic victory in its efforts to diminish Western influence in the region.
Implications of China’s Inroads into PICs
A controversial security deal between China and the Solomon Islands in April 2022 and subsequent diplomatic engagements have made traditional regional powers like the US and Australia wary. The potential negative consequences for the PICs’ sovereignty and unity from deals with China could draw them into future global conflicts. The US, in particular, has adopted a more cautious stance, reconsidering its diplomacy in the region following the China-Solomon Islands deal.
India-PICs Relations
India, with its substantial diaspora in the PICs, maintains a dialogue with the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) and participates in the Forum for India and Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC). Mutual interests include tapping into the PICs’ resource-rich EEZs for natural resources and developing partnerships for effective solutions in climate change, sustainable development, and disaster management.
The Future of India-PICs Engagement
Despite their geographical size, the PICs hold considerable strategic, economic, and political weight in international affairs. As India aims for a transparent, need-based, and inclusive relationship with the PICs based on shared values and futures, the impending third FIPIC summit marks an opportunity to deepen this engagement.
Last Modified: February 15, 2024