Recently, a multinational collaboration came into being, titled ‘Partners in the Blue Pacific’ (PBP). Led by the US and supported by allies Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the UK, PBP aims to foster more efficient and effective cooperation with small island nations in the Pacific region. The initiative’s goal areas include climate crisis response, connectivity and transportation enhancement, maritime security enhancement, health improvement, prosperity promotion, and education advancement.
The PBP is an informal mechanism aimed at bolstering diplomatic and economic ties with the Pacific islands while enhancing prosperity, resilience, and security in the region through cooperation. This essentially means that the initiative will see these five nations channeling more resources towards Pacific Island Countries (PICs) to combat China’s aggressive outreach.
Understanding the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)
The Pacific Islands Forum, which the PBP members intend to bolster ties with, is a premier political and economic policy organization in the region. Established in 1971, it consists of 18 members, including Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Significance of the Pacific Region
Although small in terms of land area, the PICs possess some of the largest Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). These EEZs offer significant economic potential as they can be utilized for exploiting fisheries, energy, minerals, and other marine resources.
Additionally, the PICs play a crucial role in major power rivalries. Historical evidence shows that the major powers during the colonial era competed to gain control over these strategic territories, with the Pacific Islands being a major theatre of conflict during World War II.
Moreover, the PICs can potentially act as a significant vote bank in the United Nations, enabling major powers to sway international opinion. The strategic importance of the region hasn’t gone unnoticed by the US Department of Defence, which in 2019 referred to the Indo-Pacific as the most consequential region for America’s future.
China’s Pacific Ambitions
China’s recent security pact with Solomon Islands, alongside its efforts to dominate crucial shipping lanes, has caused alarm among western powers. A major achievement in China’s strategy was getting ten Pacific nations to sign a game-changing agreement called the “Common Development Vision.” This agreement aims to build a closer China-Pacific Island Countries community with a shared future, fostering cooperative and sustainable security measures and promoting regional peace.
Given their location in what China describes as its ‘Far Seas’, the PICs could give China effective control over a much bigger maritime area than its maritime borders, thereby elevating it to a Blue Water capable Navy.
Efforts by the US and Allies to Counter China
Having recognized China’s growing influence in the Pacific region, the US and its partners have launched initiatives to counterbalance China’s expanding footprint. These include the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) and the G7-led Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII). Both are aimed at enhancing economic development and boosting trade in the region, effectively countering China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
India-PICs Relations: An Overview
India’s interaction with PICs is largely driven by the considerable Indian diaspora in the region, with Fiji housing an Indian population comprising 40% of its total populace. Institutional engagement is maintained through India’s participation in the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) as a key dialogue partner.
In furthering this interaction, the Forum for India and Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), a multinational grouping, was launched in 2014. Areas of cooperation include the Blue Economy, with PIC’s resource-rich Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) being an attractive source of natural resources like Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and hydrocarbons, and Climate Change and Sustainable Development, as the island nations’ geography makes them susceptible to environmental challenges.