Abhay Kumar Singh replies: China’s growing influence in the South Pacific was thrust into the limelight when word leaked in March 2022 that it has negotiated a secret security agreement with the Solomon Islands, a country with which it established diplomatic ties only in 2019. Despite fervent parley by Australia and the US against this security agreement, the leader of the Solomon Islands formally announced the conclusion of this security agreement with China.
Pacific Media: A New Arena of Competition between the United States and China
The media landscape in the Pacific Island countries is vulnerable to Chinese influence given the developmental needs and lack of robust regulatory mechanisms.