The last time a Chinese delegation arrived at Fiji’s Grand Pacific Hotel it was to beat up a Taiwanese official in the ballroom for daring to host a celebration of his country’s National Day.
But that was 18 months ago, a lifetime in the world of international relations.
This week, the Chinese came in peace – or what now passes for it in the Pacific – with Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s hefty entourage occupying much of the hotel as Beijing’s island-hopping charm offensive hit town.
It was all smiles at reception, the previous unpleasantness having been quickly swept under the (slightly blood-stained) carpet when the two Chinese embassy thugs were granted diplomatic immunity by a Fijian government anxious to avoid trouble.
Diplomacy this week was all about non-intervention in the affairs of Pacific nations, Mr Wang declared repeatedly and with a straight face on his 10-day, eight-nation sprint across the region.
Beijing may not have pulled off its desired regional agreement but it was always going to find a receptive audience in Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama’s much-diminished Republic of Fiji. In his 15 years in power, the one-time navy commander has become increasingly reliant on friends in Beijing.
Former Bainimarama media adviser Graham Davis recounts an experience at a reception one evening at State House in Suva when the Prime Minister shocked the gathering by telling the then US ambassador Judith Cefkin “You’re not a true friend of Fiji. See that guy over there” – pointing to the Chinese ambassador – “he’s a true friend of Fiji.”
Now Fiji finds itself suddenly at the forefront of Beijing’s largesse, as the superpower stretches its muscle in the South Pacific.
It could not have come at a better time for Bainimarama.
The rugby fanatic who took power in a military coup in 2006 but reinstated democratic rule to Fiji presides over a ruined economy and a fractured nation. The country is $5bn in debt and almost totally reliant on a tourist industry that was in trouble even before Covid wiped out large parts of it.
For Beijing, Fiji is ripe for the plucking. But for many Fijians, the government of Bainimarama is also on the nose. And many are now considering what might once have seemed unthinkable: a return to Fiji’s archetypal strongman, former soldier Sitiveni Rabuka, instigator of two military coups in 1987, and later democratically elected as prime minister from 1992 to 1999.
The coups led to a mass exodus of the country’s Indo-Fijians; the prime ministership delivered only a partial redemption.
This year’s election will be a clash of sworn enemies in what is likely the last roll of the dice for both men. A win would not just be a remarkable turnaround for Rabuka – and his country – but a nasty blow for China. The wily Rabuka is far more cautious about Beijing’s push into the Pacific than his hated adversary Bainimarama, who calls him “the snake”.
This week, Rabuka – who is still known in friendlier circles as “Rambo” – told The Australian he wouldn’t be trading Fiji’s security for economic benefits under any circumstances. “We don’t want to sell our soul, and that is tantamount to selling our soul,” he said.
Now, at age 74, Rabuka faces the biggest challenge of an already overly dramatic career: to convince the country, especially its 37 per cent Indo-Fijian population, that he is a changed man.
Rabuka was in Sydney at the weekend raising funds for his fledgling People’s Alliance party. The Fijian diaspora in Australia wields considerable sway, with many retaining footholds in both countries. Expats sent back $1.5bn in remittances over the past two years, a lifeline to family and to the national economy.
Crucially, on this visit Rabuka was joined by his coalition partner Biman Prasad, head of the traditionally Indo-Fijian dominated National Federation Party.
They make an odd couple: the charismatic Fijian strongman and the unassuming Indo-Fijian professor. But it was a winning combination, at least, for 500 supporters at a sold-out black tie ball in Bankstown.
Rabuka received a hero’s welcome from the largely iTaukei (ethnic Fijian) audience at the event; but so did Prasad, arriving late in Sydney’s Saturday night traffic to an unexpected ovation.
At another gathering largely attended by Indo-Fijians – some who had left the country in fear after the 1987 coups, and others who were not even born then – Rabuka admits that there were moments of awkwardness.
Have they forgiven him?
“Some of them only know the Rabuka of 1987 and nothing else,” he says. “I’m glad that last night Biman came along and said: this is what he has done since. And it was good for them to see – okay, so you’re different now.”
Rabuka chuckles at the turnaround, as if slightly amazed by it. If he wins this election, there’ll be plenty of upheaval all round.
More Coverage
Read related topics:China Ties
Join the conversation
Former prime ministers divided over how to retaliate against Iran
Israel has promised to retaliate for Iran’s massive missile attack last week. How it does so involves great risk, and could have major repercussions for the Middle East and the world.
Read more
Albanese likened to Latham amid split with US on Israel
John Howard has drawn parallels between Anthony Albanese and Mark Latham over Labor’s handling of national security, warning that the government ‘doesn’t really have a grasp on the nuances of foreign policy’.
Read more