In relation to headlines last week that Vanuatu has been discussing with China the issue of building (a, or some) Chinese bases on Vanuatu. Vanuatu and China on Tuesday 17 April 2018 denied the base intention rumours. On 19 April 2018 Vanuatu's Prime Minister assured Australia's Prime Minister that there were no basing intentions. The interesting map below has been made public.
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- Blue dots are US overseas bases (some US facilities in Singapore). These established, very large
bases, underline how powerful the US presence has been since the 1940s.
- Magenta dots are Chinese bases in China
- Purple dots are Australian bases in Australia
- Also note Magenta Circles are Chinese influenced dual-use ports (bases to be?) in Indian Ocean
at:
= Gwadar (Pakistan)
= Hambantota (Sri Lanka)
= Chittagong (Bangladesh), and
= Sittwe (Myanmar)
= No mention of Maldives.
India's main bases (on Western Naval Command, Mumbai and Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam) are not identified.
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Question - Might tiny Vanuatu ($114 million Chinese loan money wharf) and (for that matter East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji) be added not as a bases, but as further Magenta Circled Chinese influenced dual-use ports in years to come?
An interesting response to such a question comes from
On April 14, 2018 an Anonymous provided some interesting insights:
[Anonymous says]
re Vanuatu. China got a foothold in Vila by funding the Melanesian Spearhead [1]. West Papua and Kanaky [2] are aspiring nations. This gives China enormous potential leverage. An independent Kanaky or West Papua would need to repay China for support during the struggle.
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There are so many issues with China's rise in the broader region that it is easy to disregard the concerns of Pacific islands.
Pete
See much larger image of map here. Map courtesy Australian Department of Defence and International Maritime Bureau a specialised division of the International Chamber Of Commerce.
The above map's key, on upper right corner, indicates:- Blue dots are US overseas bases (some US facilities in Singapore). These established, very large
bases, underline how powerful the US presence has been since the 1940s.
- Magenta dots are Chinese bases in China
- Purple dots are Australian bases in Australia
- Also note Magenta Circles are Chinese influenced dual-use ports (bases to be?) in Indian Ocean
at:
= Gwadar (Pakistan)
= Hambantota (Sri Lanka)
= Chittagong (Bangladesh), and
= Sittwe (Myanmar)
= No mention of Maldives.
India's main bases (on Western Naval Command, Mumbai and Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam) are not identified.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Question - Might tiny Vanuatu ($114 million Chinese loan money wharf) and (for that matter East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji) be added not as a bases, but as further Magenta Circled Chinese influenced dual-use ports in years to come?
An interesting response to such a question comes from
[Re Pete saying] "'Such pressure may fall on East Timor'
[Anonymous says]
No. The new Timor Sea treaty binds Dili to Australia and virtually ensures ET will become a military ally and protectorate. The concessions given would've been nonsensical otherwise.
re Vanuatu. China got a foothold in Vila by funding the Melanesian Spearhead [1]. West Papua and Kanaky [2] are aspiring nations. This gives China enormous potential leverage. An independent Kanaky or West Papua would need to repay China for support during the struggle.
Neither Indonesia nor Australia would tolerate a Chinese base in E.Timor, nor Chinese interference in West Papua via Vanuatu. The interests of Canberra and Jakarta may be converging in a manner that may yet see Jakarta's long standing neutrality up for review.
The trend will be strengthened if Trump indeed proves serious about a second iteration of the TPP."
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanesian_Spearhead_Group (MSG). The MSG is
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanesian_Spearhead_Group (MSG). The MSG is
[2] "Kanaky" in this context means a future independent Kanak nation replacing the French territory of New Caledonia. An independence referendum will be held in New Caledonia on
4 November 2018 at which voters will be given the choice of remaining joined to France or becoming an independent country.
And finally Chinese aid to Pacific islands and to Timor-Leste (East Timor) above (cumulative figures 2006-2016). Australia is the largest donor to the region including Vanuatu, but China is rising as the "loaner" and donor that doesn't instruct how money should be used. (Map courtesy Lowy Institute via DEVPOLICYBLOG, April 11, 2018)
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Pete CommentThere are so many issues with China's rise in the broader region that it is easy to disregard the concerns of Pacific islands.
Pete