They may be mostly tiny, underpopulated and remote, but the Islands of the Pacific are right in the middle of some of today’s biggest international issues, journalists at the Center’s Bangkok media conference learned Wednesday.
Among the issues sweeping across the high islands and atolls of the Pacific: Competition between Mainland China and Taiwan and, of course, global warming.
Panelists on a Pacific Islands program included East West Center President Charles Morrison and Kalafi Moala, publisher of the Times of Tonga.
Because each independent nation in the Pacific represents a vote in the United Nations, both China and Taiwan are equally courting the islands. Often, particularly with Taiwan, it takes the form of “checkbook diplomacy” where goodwill is sought through financial help for roads, schools and other critical needs.
While Taiwan has been relatively active and successful, both Morrison and Moala agreed that inevitably, China will win the recognition battle.
But Moala pointed out that this, and other international issues, give the islands influence greater than their size.
For instance, the sovereign nations of the Pacific make up 12 United Nations votes - a sizeable bloc.One area where that bloc vote will be brought to bear is on efforts to deal with global warming.
Low-lying islands in the Pacific are already experiencing direct and potentially disastrous effects of sea rise.
Some nations may one day simply disappear.
“Environment is not an ideology for us,” said Moala. “It is life.”