political currents

The Chinese are coming, and Tofilau Eti’s all smiles

The Pacific visit in April of the general secretary of the com munist party of China, Mr Hu Yaobang, has focused attention on China’s growing involve ment with the region. Mr Hu spent two days in Western Samoa. During his stay he emphasised that China did not wish to interfere in the internal affairs of third world countries, but rather believed that China’s philosophy as a third world country itself was similar, espe cially in the case of formerly colonised countries.

China established diplomatic relations with Western Samoa in 1975. In 1981 China pro vided assistance to Western Samoa in the form of an in terest-free loan of approximate ly Ausss million. Some of this money was used to build an extensive sports complex, in cluding a gymnasium, grand stand, rugby field, 400-metre athletic track, and a bowling

green for the South Pacific Games of 1983.

Money was also put towards a two-year vegetable-growing project started in 1980. The aim of this project was to improve vegetable-growing techniques among local farmers as well as to provide enough vegetables for export, to help close the foreign exchange gap under which the Apia government then struggled.

Chinese cabbage, onions, garlic and carrots were suc cessfully grown. The result, un fortunately, was a glut on the local markets and, because ex tensions to the runway at Faleolo Airport had not been completed, an overseas market could not be found. The project thus floundered, but will be revived once the runway exten sions now under way are com pleted later this year.

As an extension of China’s involvement in Samoa there

are also two teachers instructing students in Chinese language and literature at Samoa’s na tional university.

A new Chinese embassy, de signed and built by Chinese architects and laborers, at a cost of about Auss7so,ooo was opened in Apia in September, last year. The building has a staff of eight, and boasts Italian marble floors and an attractive outdoor swimming pool.

This completes the trio of embassies China has in the Pacific Islands. In Suva they bought a motel and converted it to a quite extensive chancery, and in Port Moresby they have a more elaborate structure built and decorated in a fashion rather reminiscent of mandarin ate Peking.

Western Samoa imports tin ned food and other items from China, but so far its only export has been some timber.

Speaking after Mr Hu’s visit,

Western Samoan prime minis ter Tofilau Eti Alesana said he hoped to accept Mr Hu’s invita tion to visit China later this year.

The prime minister said they had discussed the South Pacific Forum and Mr Hu had praised stands taken by the member nations on the nuclear issue.

The Chinese government, through Mr Hu, had pledged a cash grant to Samoa of US$5OO,OOO, he said. This, with the remainder of the 1981 interest-free loan, could be used at the discretion of the Samoan government. It will probably be used to make up the deficit in the cost of exten ding the airport.

Australia has already pledged $4 million towards the work which is due to be completed later this year.

Tofilau Eti said he had invited the Chinese to come to Samoa to experiment in making taro into a powder suitable for ex port. Similar experiments are under way in Hawaii. The nutritional value of taro is high and 85 per cent of Samoans rely on it as a cash crop.

Tofilau Eti said he had told Mr Hu that he welcomed aid from China as he believed Australia and New Zealand could not bear alone the bur den of South Pacific regional aid. He added that he had approached the United States for bilateral aid for the region as he believed that this would stop outside bloc influences coming into the area. For example, the issue of Kiribati and Russian fishing rights.

The prime minister said that the visit of the Chinese general secretary would enhance the friendship existing between China and Western Samoa.

Lee Anderson in Apia.

Chinese Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang chats in Suva with Fiji Governor-General Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau during his April tour of the South Pacific.