Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 28, 2019. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Pool
Reuters: China not seeking 'sphere of influence' in Pacific, Xi says
BEIJING (Reuters) - China is not seeking a sphere of influence in Pacific Ocean island states, President Xi Jinping told the visiting prime minister of Vanuatu amid fears in Western capitals of China’s growing role in the region.
Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands at the Great Hall
China has offered to help developing countries, including those in the Pacific, and many see Chinese lending as the best way to develop their economies. Critics say Chinese loans can lead countries into a debt trap, which Beijing denies.
The United States and Australia have looked on with particular concern at China’s growing role in the Pacific. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will visit the Solomon Islands next week.
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WNU Editor: The aid that China is promising to these island nations have strings attached. If that is not creating a mechanism to influence these nations, then I have a different definition of "sphere of influence" from the Chinese.
