If sanctimony and hypocrisy were renewable energy sources, the Pacific Islands Forum could fuel the globe for the foreseeable future. Rarely has such a tiny pond crammed with such oversized bottom-feeders belched out more insincerity and fraudulent greed.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack’s remark that Fiji will continue to survive on Australian foreign aid and fruit-picking jobs might have been injudicious, but it’s not like he was completely wrong. Australians’ cultural proclivity for blunt talk may often veer into insensitivity, and Frank Bainimarama’s chagrin at McCormack’s sledge is certainly understandable. At the same time, though, it might be pertinent to consider that while Beijing’s smooth-talking might pander to Pacific nations’ chipped shoulders, China will still have its pound of flesh in the end.
Then there’s this piece of breathtaking hypocrisy from Kiribati.
Australia should be sanctioned or suspended from the Pacific Islands Forum over the Morrison government’s pro-coal stance, Kiribati’s former president, Anote Tong, says.
Fine – and we’ll take our foreign aid with us. Which will blow a 40% hole in Kiribati’s entire gdp. But the duplicity doesn’t end there:
The Sydney Morning Herald reported Mr Tong saying if a country causes harm to others, such as by fuelling climate change, “there should be sanctions”.
rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/397011/call-for-australia-to-be-cut-from-pacific-forum-over-coal
Does that include countries whose tourist trade – fuelled by jet-fuel-guzzling international flights – contributes megatonnes of CO2 to climate change every year? Kiribati might need a gentle reminder that it recently signed a deal for four shiny, new jet airliners for its national carrier.
Meanwhile, the PIF’s rota of the gullible and greedy are lapping up the snake-oil from Beijing.
Beijing has condemned Australia and accused it of acting like a condescending master towards Pacific countries, insulting climate-vulnerable nations and “spreading the China threat fallacy”.
China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, said Pacific island leaders did not share Australia’s fear of Chinese influence in the region.
Meanwhile, there’s a little place called Hong Kong. Ask them how they feel about coming under Beijing’s thumb.
This is an old, old ploy from the Chinese communists. During the Cold War, Beijing pandered to preening third-world popinjays by parroting their anti-colonialist rhetoric (even as Beijing was invading Tibet and Vietnam, and trying to monster Taiwan into submission). Now, awash with cash following Deng’s economic reforms, the communists are buying friends and hangers-on like a drunken tourist in Patpong.
Speaking in Beijing, Geng said […] China had been providing assistance to island countries “with no political strings attached” and without insults.
rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/397268/china-hits-out-at-australia-over-its-pacific-approach
And that’s just how mendicant despots across the developing world like it. Western nations, like Australia and the U.S., actually expect reform for their money. Beijing just doles out the cash.
But if the PIFs think there’ll be no strings attached as Beijing turns the Pacific into a Chinese lake, they’re bigger buffoons than they look in those silly shirts.