with the superpowers

Pim Opinion

Learning to live with the superpowers

We don’t want superpower involvement here it’s a familiar cry around these shores. We most certainly do, however, want superpower dollars or roubles.

The perception that superpower rivalry can be kept at arms length while at the same time playing the Americans and the Russians against each other in, for example, the bidding for tuna deals is naive in the extreme.

The Americans, in particular, on the other hand, need to relearn their knowledge of the region and its problems of scale the smallness of which appears to be difficult for the US, more used to thinking in terms of megamil lions, to grasp.

The Russians have bought fishing rights in Kiribati (which, along with Tuvalu, has recently hired a consultant to help them persuade the UN to add their names to that of Western Samoa on the list of least developed countries) for what, to them, is little more than a few beads and steel axes. It has cost them the price of a handful of low grade missiles, a morning’s target practice.

Which makes it all the harder for islanders to understand why the Americans are haggling over fishing fees.

This has led to resentment, especially among the younger educated people who have no memories of the generally welcome US presence during World War 11. The opinions of Mr Sioneholo (page 17) are not untypical and the US would do well to heed what he has to say.

Fears that the Russians are gaining some kind of foothold in the South Pacific are, however, unfounded.

Island nations have as much in common with the Russians as with the eskimos a need to rely on renewable resources.

The Kiribati —Russian deal was born of sheer frustra tion and any similar agreement with Vanuatu will probably be for the same pragmatic reason.

But all the Russians will get for their money is fish and, presumably, some knowledge of the sea bed.

The Americans, for the same, in their terms negligible, outlay could achieve so much more if they could once understand that deals with Russia are made out of necessity and are not an attempt to undermine US interests.

Most island people would welcome any US presence.

Commanders of US Navy vessels who have visited, for instance, Port Moresby, in the past few years will be able to tell of the somewhat over exuberant welcome they have received. That goodwill still exists.

The islanders would prefer to deal with the US and their traditional trade and aid partners. But this does not mean that they should or will sell their resources cheaply or subsidise American tuna boats. Why, they ask, should the poor nations sell their resources at knockdown prices to the rich?

But the islands need to be aware that trade and aid can’t be one way traffic. The Americans are understand ably unwilling to be drawn into a Dutch auction with the Russians. There are indications that Washington could be interested in increased aid to the region in the not too distant future. But they are wary of the islands’ tactic of playing one aid donor against another to get the best deal and would especially have no truck with any attempt to use them to up the bidding vis-a-vis Australia or New Zealand.

At present the US and islands have a somewhat distorted view of each other and the tuna negotiations could be seen as a point of departure towards greater understanding and better things in the future.

At least there will be no more talk in Washington of messages in bottles. That particular bottle from Raroton ga has most certainly reached its intended destination.

The road to a more personal and perhaps more immediate means of dialogue is now open. It would be a pity if either party started to erect barricades.