China’s plan to develop Samoan port a regional security concern

‘Oku hoha’a ‘eni ‘a ‘Aositelēlia mo ‘Amelika ki he alea kuo fai ke fakapa’anga ‘e Siaina ‘a hono toe langa fo’ou ‘o ha taulanga ‘i Ha’amoa, Apia. Kuo fakamahino ‘e he Minisita Ngoue ‘a Ha’amoa’ ‘oku lolotonga lele ‘a e alea ko eni ki hano fakalahi mo fakafo’ou ‘a e uafu pe poate ‘Asau ‘a ia ‘oku tu’u ‘o hoko atu ki ha tō’anga vaka ‘i Savai’i, ‘a e motu lahi taha ‘i he fonua’. ‘Oku hoha’a ki heni kinautolu kau ‘analaiso ‘o e ngaahi me’a fakakau tau’ he ‘e ala hoko ‘eni ke hū mai ai ‘a e fonua kominiusi’ ni ‘o ma’u faingamālie he mafutefua ‘o e ngaahi feitu’u malu’i ‘a ‘Amelika he tahi saute Pasifiki’ pe hoko ko ha fakamana ki he halanga fefakatau’aki fakahahake ‘a ‘Aositelēlia ki ‘Amelika’.

THE AUSTRALIAN – China is negotiating to fund the redevelopment of a coral-choked port in Samoa, in a move seen to have major economic and strategic implications for Australia and the United States in the South Pacific.

Samoa’s Agriculture Minister confirmed that discussions were under way with China to bankroll the redevelopment and expansion of the Asau Port, which already boasts a concrete wharf and is sited next to an airstrip on Savai’i, the nation’s largest island.

A Chinese hydrographic surveyor was discreetly brought in earlier this year to map the port, which is unable to be used by large vessels because of coral and sediment choking the access channel, The Australian learned.

China’s involvement has raised red flags with military analysts, who warned that the port could lead to a “salient right through the heart” of America’s defences in the South Pacific or threaten Australia’s east-coast trade routes to the US.

The port, originally developed for timber exports on the island in the 1960s, has been described as “well-protected from the east and south by the island itself and from the north and west by fringing coral reefs”, according to a New Zealand survey done last year.

But over the past few decades the entrance channel has become obstructed and it has never been subjected to planned dredging, which would have seen it cleared out to a depth of about 10m and width of about 68m, the survey said.

Due to the blockages and the shallow channel, the harbour is currently only used by recrea­tion­al and charter fishing boats and for the occasional visit by the Australian-supplied Samoan pat­rol boat the Nafanua.

Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi revealed the port’s redevelopment in April, saying “funding has been secured” to clear the channel, but he did not specify the source of the money.

But Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Lopaoo Natanielu Mua confirmed to The Australian that discussions were under way with the Chinese about funding the port. He declined to answer furthe­r questions about specifics.

“I think China is one of the donor­s that the government is talking to but nothing has been confirmed or finalised,’’ he said.

The funding of ports in developing nations has been controversial, with some nations such as Sri Lanka ending up handing over control of the installations to Chinese government interests after being unable to pay off development loans.

Concerns have also been raised by the International Moneta­ry Fund about Samoa’s level of indebtedness to China.

Military experts expressed fears yesterday that a similar fate may await the Samoan port, which could see China gaining control of the harbour and a strategi­c foothold in the Pacific.

Australian Strategic Policy Institut­e analyst Malcolm Davis said that if the Chinese were able to access a Samoan port, then the risk would be that it could lead to a military base.

He said the other issue was that a base in the southwest Pacifi­c would be well positioned to sit astride trade routes from the east coast of Australia to the US.

“They could potentially coerce Australia in that regard and project power to the north up to Micronesia, Guam and potentially Hawaii,” Dr Davis said.

Former US diplomat and retire­d marine colonel Grant Newsham, who is a senior ­research fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies, warned that the Chinese could use the same tactics by which they obtain a military base in Djibout­i, on the Horn of Africa.

“It’s the Chinese modus operandi,” Colonel Newsham said. “You can see how it played out in Djibouti, where they got the governmen­t to toss out the Dubai ports company that controlled the port.”

Colonel Newsham said any sort of port type access for China could lead to a “salient right through the heart” of the US, Japane­se and Australian defences. “It’s getting in behind the American, Japanese and Australian defence,” he said.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne did not comment on the revelations, but a spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Department said Australia wanted “to see infrastr­ucture investment that is transparent, delivers long-term benefits and avoids unsustainable debt burdens”.

Efforts to contact Chinese officia­ls in Samoa for comment were unsuccessful.

This story appears on PACNEWS. Kaniva and PACNEWS has content sharing arrangement.

About The Author

Sometimes when a business is growing, it needs a little help.

Right now Kaniva News provides a free, politically independent, bilingual news service for readers around the world that is absolutely unique. We are the largest New Zealand-based Tongan news service, and our stories reach Tongans  wherever they are round the world. But as we grow, there are increased demands on Kaniva News for translation into Tongan on our social media accounts and for the costs associated with expansion. We believe it is important for Tongans to have their own voice and for Tongans to preserve their language, customs and heritage. That is something to which we are strongly committed. That’s why we are asking you to consider sponsoring our work and helping to preserve a uniquely Tongan point of view for our readers and listeners.

spot_imgspot_imgspot_imgspot_img

Latest news

Related news