Litia Cava 
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka [Source: Reuters]
Fiji will not take sides in the rising tensions between global powers.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said growing rivalry between the United States and China must not be allowed to play out in the Pacific.
He said Fiji, like other island countries would remain neutral.
“The Pacific leaders in all their recent discussions have tried to go for policies that are friendly to all and enemies to none. And it is a fairly tough course to steer but it is possible. We need to hold hands.”
Rabuka said China was now a major global force with growing influence in the region, but this should not affect how Fiji engages with its traditional partners like Australia, New Zealand and the US.
He states that China’s involvement in infrastructure should help Fiji feel more secure and self-reliant, not push it toward one geopolitical camp.
Pacific leaders, he points out continue to pursue a policy of being friends to all and enemies to none.
Rabuka admits it’s a hard path to follow but says regional unity and balance must be protected.
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