SYDNEY | July 3, 2025
China’s embassy in Fiji rejected claims it is seeking military bases or a strategic foothold in the Pacific Islands, following remarks by Fiji’s Prime Minister about Beijing’s growing influence in the region.
- Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said Pacific Island nations are under pressure from China’s expanding influence, but his country opposes a Chinese military base.
- China’s embassy in Fiji called base-related claims “false narratives,” insisting its presence is focused on infrastructure and development.
- Rabuka noted that China does not need a physical base to project power, citing a Chinese ICBM test last year that flew over Fiji.
- Concerns over China’s Pacific ambitions have grown since 2018, including a security pact with Solomon Islands in 2022 and prior base bids in Papua New Guinea and Fiji—both won by Australia.
- “China has no interest in geopolitical competition, or seeking the so-called ‘sphere of influence,’” the embassy said, per Reuters.
Context: China has increased its security footprint across the Pacific, including police deployments in Solomon Islands, Kiribati, and Vanuatu.
This news brief is based on Rueters report.
