Its pristine beaches and turquoise waters may induce a sense of calm and well-being for the thousands of tourists who flock to the tiny archipelago of Fiji, nestled in the midst of the vast Pacific Ocean. But Fiji, like the other small island states in the Pacific, is also at the centre of a raging battle for influence between China and other world powers, given its strategic location.
This tussle has acquired an added edge as the Indo-Pacific region, where these island nations straddle vital sea lanes, gains greater salience and countries devise stratagems to contain China.
India’s rolling out of the red carpet for the Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka recently, therefore, not only lent a fresh impetus to bilateral ties but also gave the two sides an opportunity to discuss behind closed doors the perils of Beijing’s territorial ambitions.
Rabuka has not been pro-China though he has successfully walked the diplomatic tightrope by not jeopardising relations with it even while openly declaring that he is not in favour of Beijing having a military base in the Pacific islands region. India, with its own territorial disputes with China, sees Fiji as a valuable partner in stepping up collaboration with it in the defence and security arenas. India’s outreach is also in consonance with its ‘Act East’ policy.
Bilateral relations that once pivoted around the Indian diaspora have now transcended people-to-people links and need to be seen from the prism of the defence and security framework, given Beijing’s hegemonic ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region and elsewhere.
Though these island states lie thousands of miles away, India has been assiduously courting them as part of its own strategic moves in pursuit of a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific. As New Delhi explained during Rabuka’s visit, it wants to “collaborate in the regional security architecture”.
New Delhi and Suva have enjoyed close ties for over a century. Nearly one-third of the archipelago’s population is of Indian origin, with their forefathers having travelled to Fiji as indentured labour from 1879 onwards right until 1920.
Rabuka, once an army man himself, had seized power in the archipelago through a coup in 1987, notably ousting the first Fijian PM of Indian origin, Timoci Bavadra. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since, with Rabuka in later years being elected twice as the PM. His most recent victory was in 2022, and for New Delhi it was essential to reach out to the leader of a nation that enjoys a pre-eminent position among the Pacific island states.
Fiji hosts the headquarters of the multilateral grouping, the Pacific Islands Forum, where India is a dialogue partner.
It is also an important member of the decade-old Forum for India-Pacific Island Countries (FIPIC) founded by India. Three FIPIC Summits have been hosted at the prime ministerial level by India, with the inaugural one being held in Fiji in 2014.
Reflecting New Delhi’s desire to forge closer defence ties with Fiji, the joint statement after Rabuka’s meeting with Modi noted that the Indian PM “reaffirmed India’s commitment to advancing priority areas of cooperation outlined in the MoU on Defence Cooperation in 2017, and to supporting Fiji’s strategic priorities in these areas.”
In stepping up its defence and security partnership with Fiji, India has also signalled to other Pacific island states the significance it attaches to strategic ties with the region, one where China has been making deep inroads. Under the rubric of defence and security, India and Fiji emphasised the importance of ensuring the security of Fiji’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
This is particularly noteworthy given that China, as is its wont with other countries in its region, has been eyeing its maritime resources and been involved in illegal fishing there. With their vast, resource-rich EEZs, it has become imperative for the Pacific island states to protect their interests from a predatory China.
The growing India-Fiji ties in defence are also reflected in the setting up of a joint working group (JWG), which met for the first time in July. New Delhi has also decided to post a defence attaché in the Indian High Commission in Fiji and will also provide defence equipment, capacity building and training to the archipelago’s military forces.
It will also be providing the military forces with two sea ambulances.
Rabuka’s visit saw the onboarding of Fiji onto India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, one of whose focus areas is maritime security. Fiji sees this Initiative aligning with PM Rabuka’s Ocean of Peace vision that seeks to highlight the Pacific region’s role in promoting peace, stability, and maritime harmony amidst the fierce geopolitical jostling for influence.
Even as the security partnership gathers momentum, New Delhi is also eager to emphasise its role as a development partner of Fiji. In doing so, it is clearly seeking to position itself in a positive light as opposed to Beijing’s debt-inducing execution of projects. And yet, it is well-nigh impossible for these small island states to completely reject Beijing’s offers to build much-needed infrastructure for them. Many among them, including Fiji, have joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The countries hoping to contain China, therefore, cannot afford to slacken in their diplomatic overtures to the Pacific island nations. India, being China’s close neighbour, would know this only too well.
The writer is senior journalist and writes on strategic affairs