Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka during the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in Fiji, on Feb. 23, 2023. Ben McKay/AAP Image
In a rebuke of Beijing’s growing influence in the Pacific, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka declared during a visit to Australia last week that his country will not allow China to build military bases in the region—and urged other Pacific nations to unite in resisting China’s geopolitical ambitions.
“Who would welcome them? Not Fiji,” he said during a speech at the National Press Club in Canberra on July 2. His remarks are one of the strongest public statements by a Pacific Island leader against Beijing’s attempts to expand its military footprint.
