A visit by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi to South Pacific islands from May 26 to June 4 culminated in the establishment of multiple fisheries agreements with several island nations.
The United States and its allies suspect the agreements are a veiled attempt by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to expand its influence in the region and to unfairly exploit the local fishing industry.
Among those concerned about the recent agreements is Charles Edel, Australia chair at the U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“China has become the world’s largest perpetrator of illegal fishing,” Edel said.
“They have drastically depleted global fish stocks and undermined traditional livelihoods of many countries, so any steps taken to track, identify and curb such activity would have environmental and security benefits for the region.”…