Regionalism and International Politics of the South Pacific

Abstract

HE SOUTH PACIFIC region has been generally regarded as a quiet backwater isolated from the mainstream of international relations. This view has been reinforced by the fact that, until recently, the twenty island-territories in this area came under the direct control of France, Britain, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. From the perspective of western interests, therefore, the region required little further attention. This situation has begun to change, however, as a result of two bursts of decolonizing activity which took place between 1962 and 1970, and 1974 and 1980. There are now nine independent Pacific Island states in a position to make their own foreign policy decisions, and forces previously denied access to the region are free to try to influence those decisions. The consequent involvement of several Pacific Rim countries, including the Soviet Union, China and Japan, has forced those with established interests in the area-such as the United States, France and Australia-to devise policies to maintain their predominant influence. Taken together, these developments constitute the emergence of a new system of international relations for the region. This article is concerned with exploring the degree to which developments in South Pacific regionalism, initiated by the new Pacific states and supported by several western countries, affect the nature of the international relations within this new system, and with what implications for the various interests involved.

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