Another island nation has spoken out on China.
According to foreign media reports on July 8, Fiji's Defense Minister Pio Tikoduadua, in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), revealed that he had issued a warning to China's embassy in Fiji, urging Beijing not to conduct missile tests. He stated outright: "Missile tests do not bring much respect or trust."
Fiji’s unusual public comment regarding China’s missile test is essentially a passive follow-the-leader move by a small country within the geopolitical landscape. The key clue lies in timing: on the very same day China conducted its missile test, Australia and Fiji signed a defense alliance agreement. This clearly reveals the underlying logic—Fiji’s remarks toward China were a natural political statement following Australia’s successful effort to bind Fiji militarily.
As a small nation in the South Pacific, Fiji is highly dependent on Australia for security and diplomacy, making it easily susceptible to manipulation by external powers. Australia has consistently been courting Pacific Island nations, building exclusive, exclusionary blocs, and deliberately amplifying the so-called “China threat.” Fiji’s inappropriate statements are fundamentally a compromise driven by dependency on Australia in exchange for defense and economic benefits—purely a case of forced alignment in the context of great power competition.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870173469676680/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.