Small countries in the "big game" of world powers

Geopolitical upheaval could disrupt the political and security landscape and undermine unity in the Pacific Islands region amid strategic rivalry between China and its US ally, a report by an organization warned ahead of an annual summit of Pacific Island leaders.

Pacific Island states are of great importance to the defense plans of major world powers because of their strategic location, including monitoring and controlling maritime movements across the Pacific, according to a report by the Louvi Institute.

The report points to an intense rivalry between countries like China and US allies, including Australia and Japan, for influence in the region. "China's activity and engagement in the region seems relentless," the report states, adding that they are opposed by US allies, including the largest aid donor, Australia.

"Faced with this new 'big game', Pacific Island countries have begun to dictate the rules and use increased competition to extract the greatest development benefits," the report's authors say.

It warns that this "unbridled strategic rivalry" poses a challenge to good governance and transparency and risks the pressure becoming too much for the small Pacific states.

Competing interests of donor nations are pushing the Pacific Islands in different directions, overwhelming small bureaucracies and can distract from local priorities, the report said.

China has become a significant player in the region, in development finance, ports, airports and telecommunications, and is seeking a greater role in the military, police, digital and media sectors.

The vulnerability of the Pacific Islands to climate change is also being exploited, with external partners offering assistance to access the Pacific, the report said, without naming specific countries.

"Mobilizing maritime and air resources to respond to disasters includes securing the right to use ports, runways and sea routes," it said, noting that major players are trying to be the first to respond.

China has organized three extended trips for Pacific Island leaders across Northeast Asia ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum leaders' meeting in Tonga, which begins on Monday.

Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday, as the Fijian government signed an agreement with the US Peace Corps to hire software engineers and announced that Google would build a $200m data center to support a new undersea cable.

The leaders of Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands visited China in July.

The report states that Pacific Island countries are "increasingly voicing their needs in international negotiations, seeking better conditions in trade, labor mobility, digital connectivity and resilience to climate change".