India strengthens ties to Pacific
When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (pictured) left Fiji after a 15-hour visit last month, he had boldly ventured where none of his predecessors had been before. For with one stop at what has traditionally been the Pacific’s hub since the first ships – and later jet-liners – began to traverse the world’s largest ocean, Modi sealed partnerships with most of the region’s leaders. When Indira Gandhi visited Fiji in 1981 – a hint over a century since the first Indians arrived as labourers for sugar plantations – it was for bilateral talks.
Now, 135 years since the girmitiya, Modi held multilateral talks with the heads of government of the Cook Islands, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu and promised increased trade and development opportunities. Ostensibly, Modi’s visit was to allow the inaugural Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation. But observers noted that Modi arrived just ahead of Chinese President Yi Xinping.
“Masterful counter-diplomacy,” was how a member of the Fiji-based diplomatic corps described the Indian tactics. “He came in, opened the doors to trade and development, promised to help with climate change – in fact he pushed all the right buttons if you like and from then on the Chinese were forced to play catch up.” Indeed, just days later President Xi announced visa on arrival for Pacific visitors – a move made by Modi earlier. Since the coup of 2006, China has steadily increased its aid to Fiji in the construction of roads, hospitals and a hydro-electricity dam. Now its aid to Fiji is worth close to US$2billion.
Jenny Hayward-Jones of Australia’s Lowy Institue believe this move will see China increase its political influence in Fiji and the region. In case you’ve decided that it is time for you to write your senior newspaper or any assignment, then you need to be aware that you can write my essay fast . Many people think that they cannot write the papers because they do not have the abilities, understanding or the ideal resources. In fact, you do not need to be a professor of language in a college to write an essay. There are a number of kinds of academic essay composed by students all over the world. Make sure to experience a good deal of pressure, particularly if you lack the essential writing skills and expertise within essay writing.
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