Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - The Fijian minister of defence stated on Sunday that climate change constituted the greatest security da...
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| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - The Fijian minister of defence stated on Sunday that climate change constituted the greatest security danger in the Asia-Pacific region, marking a shift in tone at a defence summit that has been dominated by the conflict in Ukraine and conflicts between China and the United States.
The low-lying Pacific islands, which include Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa, are among the most vulnerable nations in the world to climate change-induced extreme weather events.
In recent years, a series of tropical storms have pummelling Fiji, creating disastrous floods that has uprooted thousands and crippled the island's economy.
"In our blue Pacific continent, machine guns, fighter jets, grey ships, and green battalions are not our primary security concern," stated Inia Seruiratu, Fiji's Minister for Defence, during the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier security conference.
"Climate change poses the greatest threat to our own existence. It threatens our hopes and dreams for a prosperous future."
Russia's invasion of Ukraine and escalating tensions between the United States and China over everything from Taiwan's sovereignty to military sites in the Pacific have overshadowed the gathering, which concludes on Sunday.
In April of this year, China inked a security deal with the Solomon Islands, which alarmed the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, who fear an increased military presence by Beijing in the Pacific.
Beijing has stated that it has no plans to create a military post in the Solomon Islands and that its objective is to expand security cooperation with island nations in the Pacific.
Last month, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi toured the Pacific islands in an attempt to secure a comprehensive regional trade and security pact, but the island states were unable to achieve an agreement.
Seruiratu downplayed fears about a struggle for power in the Pacific islands while emphasising his nation's openness to collaborate with a variety of nations.
In his remarks, Seruiratu stated, "Geopolitical competition poses no threat to Fiji."
"To attain stability, we must modify how we work and who we work with."
