Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has delivered a strong rebuke to growing Chinese influence in the Pacific, declaring “Not Fiji” in response to speculation over Beijing’s desire to establish military bases in the region.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, Rabuka said he does not believe China needs any such outposts, citing the country’s maritime capabilities. “There is really no need for them to set up any other bases in the Pacific,” he said.
“If they want to come, who would welcome them? Not Fiji.”
Amid growing geopolitical competition, Rabuka floated the idea of a formal treaty between Fiji and Australia—beyond the current Vuvale Partnership—to cement bilateral ties beyond the “political whims” of changing governments.
“A treaty would probably break political changes brought in after elections,” he explained.
“It will not be subject to the political whims of the winning parties in the various elections because there will be national treaties between sovereign states.”
The Vuvale Partnership, meaning “family” in Fijian, was signed in 2019 and renewed in 2023. Rabuka, a former coup leader turned democratic statesman, now positions himself as a regional peacemaker. His comments come at a time when Pacific nations are under increasing pressure from global powers jostling for strategic footholds in the region.
As Australia grapples with a shortage of 5,000 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, Rabuka openly supported the recruitment of Fijians to fill the gap. “I would like to see it happen,” he said.
“Whether Australia does it or not depends on your own policies. We will not push it. How many do you think you could offer? The whole lot—5000.”
Highlighting Fiji’s long history of contributing to Australia’s workforce—including through the Pacific Labour Scheme—Rabuka said such a partnership would offer opportunities for Fijians and also help curb social issues back home.
“I’m sure that they will gravitate back towards Fiji where their pension from the years of service in Australia would serve them very well in Fiji,” he added.
Rabuka praised Australia’s ongoing support, including funding for the CWM Hospital redevelopment and repairs to more than 50 schools affected by cyclones.
Rabuka also backed Australia’s bid to host the United Nations climate talks in 2026, positioning Fiji in opposition to Turkiye in what has become a two-nation race.
However, he offered a mixed review of Canberra’s $600 million investment to establish a National Rugby League team in Papua New Guinea—an initiative linked to countering Chinese influence.
While concerned the move could draw away talent from Fiji’s thriving rugby scene, Rabuka saw an economic upside:
“We’ve always contributed to Australia, and we continue to do so.”
Rabuka’s Canberra address also unveiled Fiji’s evolving regional philosophy through the ‘Ocean of Peace’ initiative—a vision for Pacific security that prioritises unity, dialogue, and regional cooperation over competition.
“It offers this generation of Pacific Leaders the opportunity to live up to the goal codified in the Treaty of Rarotonga—to ensure, so far as lies within their power, that the bounty and beauty of the land and sea in their region shall remain the heritage of their peoples and their descendants in perpetuity to be enjoyed by all in peace,” he said.
“The Ocean of Peace concept draws on foundational tenets of Pacific regionalism. It is our opportunity to weave the threads of our Pacific past with our vision for our Pacific future.”
Work is already underway to present the Ocean of Peace Declaration at the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Honiara, Solomon Islands this September.
Rabuka urged regional leaders and international partners alike to embrace the Pacific’s peaceful heritage and values in global diplomacy.
“The Ocean of Peace can also offer a platform to expand for a global audience, concepts central to the Pacific Way, including to articulate how those within and beyond the Blue Pacific can embrace opportunities to work together and resolve differences respectfully and with understanding,” he said.
“By the Ocean of Peace, we’re putting a face to that adjective—pacific—we’re the Pacific.”
Concluding his address, Rabuka invoked the spirit of dialogue and consensus as a model for global peace-building, “There is no greater acknowledgment of the pivotal role that Pacific ways of life and values play in fostering peace than that articulated in Chapter 6 of the UN Charter, which mandates parties to disputes to pursue a ‘pacific settlement of disputes’.”
“This principle aligns with the region’s long-standing traditions of peace-building through dialogue, consensus, and communal restoration.”
As the Pacific navigates the turbulence of 21st-century geopolitics, Rabuka’s message is clear: regional unity, respectful partnerships, and enduring values are the best defence against division and coercion.
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