Fijian honors for Chinese leader

Chinese leader

The highest-ranking Chinese official ever to visit Fiji, Mr Hu Yaobang, paid a state visit to the country at the end of April during a five-nation, 12-day tour. Mr Hu, the general secre tary of the Chinese communist party, was given full honors and red carpet treatment on his visits to Australia, New Zealand, Western Samoa, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji.

The Chinese government values greatly its links with the Pacific nations, and particularly the island states. Since the establishment of diplomatic re lations between Fiji and China, communication between the two countries, in trade, com merce and technical coopera tion, has grown considerably.

For example, China buys Fiji sugar, and has now indicated its willingness to increase its quota, a matter of absorbing interest to Fiji, given the parlous state of the world sugar market.

Observers say the leader of the most populous country in the world decided to visit the south-western Pacific, and Aus tralia and New Zealand, be cause Peking recognises the growing strategic importance of the region to the two super powers, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Japan and Australia also have economic interests in the area, and both those countries are also of interest to Peking.

China sees its role in the Pacific as being something of a counter-balance to the super power influences. China has traditional links in the region.

There is a large Chinese popu lation spread around the Pacific and, while the Chinese his torically have no real record of imperialism their ships have traded, and their people have roamed, around the ocean for centuries. In Fiji there has been inter-marriage of Chinese with in the community and a great deal of grassroots-level under standing between the peoples so that at no level is there any discomfort in the basic relation ship. About one per cent of the Fiji population (about 6000 people), are Chinese or part- Chinese. The visit of Mr Hu was to strengthen goodwill.

Observers say the Pacific Is land states are concerned about the growing Russian interest in the region, which gives them good reason to welcome Mr Hu’s goodwill visit. Additional ly, Chinese aid, particularly in agricultural projects, is wel comed, both for its practical aspects, and its lack of bally hoo or what the islands might see as “obligations.”

China set up an embassy in Suva in the mid-seventies and has had diplomatic relations also with Western Samoa and Papua New Guinea for about

as long. The Suva embassy is fairly large, but operates very quietly, concentrating on aid projects and cultural visits as well as, undoubtedly, other more strictly diplomatic tasks.

In 1982 China funded the construction of a sports com plex and gymnasium in Apia, so that Western Samoa could host the South Pacific Games of 1983. It also sent a group of Chinese experts to actually build the stadium. This has been one of Peking’s larger ventures in the islands; other aid efforts include quite small, but very useful, appropriate technology projects. Among these is a rice irrigation project at Navua, on Viti Levu, and a rattan and bamboo furniture making project in the villages of Vunidawa and Somosomo, Taveuni. Here Chinese experts, all skilled craftsmen, are work ing with Fijians, passing on their knowledge in a very practical way, and at a level particularly useful to the island rural areas.

Recently, Chinese com panies have also shown interest in bigger development projects.

One of China’s leading con struction companies has just put Fs6 million into the first stage of a $65 million tourist resort being developed at Vunaniu Bay, half way between Nadi and Suva on the Queen’s Highway.

During his visit to Fiji, Mr Hu was accorded full Fijian cere monies of welcome at the state guest house and a state recep tion. He went to Navua to inspect the rice project and called on the governor-general, Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau. Prime

minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara was out of the country on medical leave, but Mr Hu spent some time in talks with the acting prime minister, Ratu David Toganivalu.

Speaking at the welcome ceremony Mr Hu said that China, as a neighbor of the South Pacific region, supported efforts by the island countries to strengthen regional coopera tion, and wished to see them prosper and develop in a peaceful manner.

China had no intention of competing with anyone in the region. Indeed, the Chinese government had declared on many occasions that neither it nor its people sought hege mony in the Asia-Pacific region, and was against other countries attempting such a course.

Mr Hu did not elaborate on the theme and listeners were left wondering whether he meant this as a warning to the Soviet Union, which has lately been seen to have raised its level of activity in the Pacific Basin - through its connection with Vietnam, by naval exer cises in the northern part of the ocean, and by approaching Kiribati, among other Pacific island nations, for rights to fishing in their exclusive econo mic zones.

The Chinese leader announced a cash grant of $450,000 to Fiji. He said he had been impressed by the progress of the Pacific coun tries, and by the way in which warmth and hospitality had been extended to him during his visits. From our Suva correspondent.