Australia Against China's Expansion In The Pacific

On its first overseas trip since winning the general election last May, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited the South Pacific region to fight what was seen as China's increasingly strong influence in the region.

The Solomon Islands are one of six island nations in the Pacific Ocean, which maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan, not with China.

The Australian Prime Minister arrived in Solomon when there was growing pressure that the island government divert diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China. A number of parliamentarians reportedly want to take advantage of economic opportunities that can be obtained by opening diplomatic relations with Beijing.

As much as 65 percent of the exports of the Solomon Islands are sent to China, and eight other Pacific island countries that recognize China has gotten more than one billion dollars in Chinese aid.

But Dr. Transform Aqorau, a former civil servant in the Solomon Islands urged caution.

"It is very easy for our politicians, who I find easy to cheat, to be interested in financial assistance. But I think they should think of long-term interests," he ordered.

Prime Minister Morrison's visit sent a strong message that Australia was determined to maintain its traditional influence in the South Pacific region despite strong Chinese influence.

Australia has promised to provide infrastructure assistance worth 170 million dollars for the next 10 years.

Jonathan Pryke, head of the Sydney-based Lowy research institute, said Australia must help its neighbors fight poverty and strengthen the implementation of human rights.

"We must ensure that public tax money is used for long-term development, which is important for Australia and also important to reduce Chinese influence in the region," Pryke said.

The Solomon Islands is located in northeastern Australia and has a population of 660 thousand, most of whom live from fisheries, plantations and forest products.

The islands have untapped natural resources, including tin, gold and nickel. The ethnic tensions that occurred there prompted Australia to send security guards in 2003 that lasted until 2017.

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