Fiji PM Says Chinese Base Is Not Welcome

A 2024 file image of the Fijian Prime Minister during a visit to Beijing. Photo by ANDRES MARTINEZ CASARES / POOL / AFP

Fiji opposes the idea of a Chinese military base in the Pacific Islands, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said on Wednesday. He told the National Press Club in Sydney that the island countries are navigating Chinese power and that Beijing knows he would lobby other countries in the region against an expansion of the Chinese military presence.

Rabuka said China doesn’t need a base to project power in the region, having already tested an intercontinental ballistic missile that flew over Fiji towards international waters in 2024. At the time, Fiji protested the launch and said the fact that countries were not notified showed a lack of respect for the region.

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by CGSP Staff

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