Page 8 - IB April 24

Whispers Whispers

Quiet diplomacy each country will get, so that the first would a good US President on the
While all the China watchers and US/ PEV lottery can take place this year. campaign trail let the facts get in the
Australian/NZ journos were focused way of a good story?
on the Solomon Islands elections in Inching towards the Tuna Treaty
mid-April, PRC Foreign Minister Wang At the 2022 Forum leaders meeting, US Where do police learn to count?
Yi made a quick visit to Papua New Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by For journalists, reporting on the
Guinea. Despite renewed engagement video to pledge US$600 million to Forum attendance at protest rallies requires
in the region by the United States, Island Countries under the South Pacific a certain skill (we usually count the
Australia and France, Chinese diplomats Tuna Treaty. The same promise was number of legs and divide by two).
keep plodding away to win hearts recycled at President Biden’s September You can be assured that police will
and minds. On the other hand, New 2022 White House summit (making report a conservative number to the
Zealand’s relationship to AUKUS is said up most of Biden’s US$810 million media, while rally organisers tend to
to be gradually but surely evolving commitment). Finally, on 28 March 2024, inflate their support. But the French
behind the scenes. While New Zealand’s the US State Department signed an MOU gendarmerie in New Caledonia take
government is downplaying its interest with the Forum Fisheries Agency to allow the cake for their low-ball figures
so far, insiders say it may just be a the US purse seine fleet to continue about attendance at recent protest
matter of time before it crystalises as a fishing in Pacific EEZs this year, pending rallies in Noumea. In this age of social
“done deal”. the formal adoption of the revised text of media, it’s easy to find videos and
the Treaty. The pledged US$60 million a photos showing tens of thousands of
Western response ‘failing’ year until 2033 is a tiny amount in the US flag-waving protestors, but the police
While Pacific Island nations have been budget, but vital for Forum nations. The continue to pretend that two men and
critical of Australia and the United delay highlights the ongoing dysfunction a dog joined the rally.
States failing to match their rhetoric in the US Congress, which has also
towards the Pacific with commensurate scuttled President Biden’s 2021 pledge Fiji bun fight
levels of action, officials in Tonga are to triple climate adaptation funding by Problems in Fiji’s third governing
said to have been sharply critical of 2024. Biden’s repeated commitments to coalition partner, the Social
Australia and New Zealand’s response the Green Climate Fund remain blocked Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA)
to the security pact signed by China in the US House of Representatives and reached a crescendo in recent weeks,
and Solomon Islands. The pact is are unlikely to advance in a presidential with the party descending into a bun
driving much of the Western-driven election year. fight over a ministerial portfolio,
fearmongering about China in the prompting calls for a snap election
Pacific, for its perceived potential to Biden’s poor timing to put the minority kingmaker party
enable China to establish a military If the United States has been off point back in its place. SODELPA had asked
presence in the region. A Tongan official with its Pacific strategy, then US President its own Parliamentary Leader, Bill
paper on the security agreement is Biden appeared to act in poor timing with Gavoka, to give up the Education
said to have described New Zealand’s his recent comments about an uncle of his portfolio so that incoming leader Aseri
response to the Solomon Islands-China being eaten by cannibals in New Guinea Radrodro could get back the portfolio
security agreement as “nothing short of in World War Two. While on the campaign he was sacked from by Prime Minister
frantic” and said Pacific diplomacy from trail in Pittsburgh, Biden described how Sitiveni Rabuka earlier in the year,
Western nations was “failing” because it “Uncle Bosie” had flown reconnaissance for “insubordination”. There was
seemed that only they can decide which flights during the war and “got shot down generally, an absolute disbelief at
countries Pacific states should align in New Guinea”. He said, “They never the party’s apparent failure to grasp
themselves with. found the body because there used to be the fact that constitutionally, only
a lot of cannibals, for real, in that part of Rabuka as PM has the prerogative
Australia’s Pacific Migration Strategy New Guinea.” Local experts said it was a to make Cabinet appointments
Meanwhile, with Australia’s Labour fact that cannibalism existed in PNG but (something that Gavoka himself has
government pushing through the Pacific just because someone jumped out of a repeatedly alluded to). With the
Engagement Visa (PEV) last year, there plane didn’t make everyone think they party in a split between both men,
is keen anticipation on how Australia’s made a good meal. The practice occurred the fuss ended after the party’s
Pacific migration strategy will be rolled in specific contexts such as eating a dead AGM officially endorsed Radrodro as
out this year. Details being finalised are relative out of respect, to prevent their party leader. Gavoka was due to be
said to include country quotas, including body from composing, and not because replaced as the party’s constitution
how many of the 3,000 visas in total of any shortage of food. Now, just why requires the party leader to step down

8 Islands Business, April 2024