India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar visited Fiji on the occasion of the 12th World Hindi Conference held from February 15 to 17. During his visit he met with the Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji Biman Prasad and discussed advancing India-Fiji relations. The World Hindi Conference projects India’s soft power potential through the Hindi language. At the same time, Fiji hosting the conference also emphasizes India’s outreach to the region.

The Pacific Island Countries (PIC) remain one of the lesser engaged regions in India’s foreign policy. Dr. Jaishankar became the first senior Indian leader in almost a decade to visit the region. But the PIC also present an opportunity for India to engage through multiple platforms.

The PIC form an important part of Indo-Pacific construct for India to expand the outreach of its foreign policy. The PIC were described by former President Pranab Mukherjee as a key factor in India’s Act East Policy and this led to an institutional mechanism to engage with these countries.

In 2014, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Fiji, India launched Forum for India Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) which includes India and 14 Pacific Island Countries – Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. The first summit of this group was held in Suva, Fiji in 2014 while the second summit was held in Jaipur, India in 2015. During his recent visit Dr. Jaishankar expressed hope that India hopes to co-host the FIPIC summit later this year.

To further boost India’s outreach in the region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reportedly expected to visit Papua New Guinea in the first half of 2023. India has also been a leading voice of the Global South and has consistently raised voice against the challenges that the countries of the Global South, which include the Pacific Island Countries, face in the wake of multiple global geopolitical and economic crises. Fiji has acknowledged India’s leadership of the Global South. India could use its position as a leading power of the Global South to further the causes and concerns of the PIC at global forums.

However, India faces certain challenges in its outreach to the Pacific Island Countries. First, the PIC remain one of the lesser focused regions in India’s foreign policy. This is characterised by lack of high-level engagements even with reasonable frequency. Modi’s visit to Fiji in 2014 was the first visit by an Indian prime minister in 33 years. Earlier Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had visited Fiji in 1981. India would need to invest considerable time and resources to accelerate and enhance its presence in the region.  

Second, in contrast to India, China has made significant inroads in the region. In the three decades between 1992 and 2021, China’s trade volume with the Pacific Island Countries increased 30 times with an average annual growth of 13%. China’s direct investment in the Pacific Island Countries amounted to $2.72 billion by the end of 2021

In terms of institutional engagement China became a dialogue partner of Pacific Islands Forum in 1989 while India became a dialogue partner of this grouping only in 2003. China’s further institutional engagement in the region was strengthened in 2006 with the launch of China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum. Xi Jinping, under his presidency has accelerated China’s engagements with the Pacific Island Countries. China has signed Belt and Road Initiative Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with 10 Pacific Island Countries – Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.

Third, the Pacific Island Countries are subject to fierce competition in geopolitical and geo-economics arenas between China and the US. While China’s engagements have mostly been in the economic domain, Beijing has increasingly displayed interest in enhancing strategic cooperation with the Pacific Island Countries. China’s attempt to seek a comprehensive agreement in the areas of policing, security, trade, data networks and cyber security with 10 PIC during Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to the region in May 2022 did not materialize. Recently Fiji concluded a MoU with China under which China will provide training to the Fijian police officers. But China’s security cooperation with Solomon Islands has upset Australia as well as the US.

Fourth, contestation over Taiwan is also reflected in China’s and the US’ diplomatic interactions with the PIC. China’s outreach to the region is aimed at securing allegiance from the Pacific Island Countries over the issue of Taiwan. Solomon Islands and Kiribati have switched their allegiance to China in the recent years. But the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau and Tuvalu still recognize and continue having diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

At present the PIC are in the midst of power tussle between the US and China. It implies India would need to find a way to manoeuvre around the geopolitical contestations and offer the Pacific Island Countries an alternative for greater engagement. India could increase its outreach in the region by increasing the frequency of high-level meetings between the leadership of India and the PIC. Similarly, people-to-people contacts between the two sides must increase to enable greater awareness about the region in India and vice versa.

The PIC are currently caught between China’s economic diplomacy and the US’ strategic diplomacy. However, the pressing concern for the region is climate change. This is where India could step in as a reliable partner and work with the Pacific Island Countries to tackle this challenge. Dr. Jaishankar’s visit saw some initiative in this direction. Dr. Jaishankar along with Fiji President Wiliame Katonivere launched a project funded by India to install solar power systems in the official residences of Pacific heads of state, beginning with the solarisation of the presidential residence in Fiji.

India also needs to recognise that, similar to the ASEAN countries, the PIC are dependent on China in the economic domain. In this case, India would need to provide its own economic alternative to allow the Pacific Island Countries diversify their engagements. India could also look to work together with like-minded countries such as the US, Australia and Japan in the region.

While India needs greater focus on the PIC, instruments such as Global South and climate change instead of geopolitical and geo-economic competition would find favour in the region for India’s increased participation.

Mr. Niranjan Marjani is a political analyst and researcher based in Vadodara, India.