
Last week saw a rather interesting rash of articles of alarm and concern that, well beyond the South China Sea, that China was building a “military base” in Vanuatu.
Of course, 97.6% of the general public who cared just tilted their head a bit and said, “What? Where?” and then promptly went to google to see what was where.
Navalists from DC to Perth had good reason to flush at first sight; geography matters.
Technology may change. Time distance may adjust with speed and carrying capacity, but from the human perspective, some challenges are eternal.
For your trade above and your information on cables below, these little islands are of huge importance.
As ASPI reported once the dust settled, no reason to panic, quite yet, but everyone should focus a bit;
The eventual denial statement from Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Charlot Salwai said his government ‘will fiercely oppose any attempt to build a military base in the country’ while stressing close ties to China as a ‘friend and global leader’.
Most of the discussion about a China ‘base’ in Vanuatu focuses on the naval dimension and the future use/ownership of wharves built by China. Other bits of the Chinese bureaucracy could also be involved.
China’s ambitions in space mean it would like to have tracking facilities close to the equator. Currently, China has to deploy ships to do space tracking work.
The previous Chinese ground station in the South Pacific was in Kiribati in the six years to 2003—it was abruptly closed when diplomatic recognition was switched to Taiwan.
As China builds its power and prerogatives in the South Pacific, it can reach for permanent facilities to serve those interests.
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What China has won in the South Pacific is both simple and significant. As with Southeast Asia, China is now a significant player that must be considered and consulted when regional decisions are being made.
Can Australia and New Zealand assume that all their SLOC are secure and connectivity to the larger word safe? What they once thought was their sleepy corner of the American Pacific lake all of a sudden doesn’t quite look that way.
Another one of your comfortable and unwritten assumptions that need attention in the face of a growing China.