Quad Plans Port Construction in Fiji; $1 Billion Suva Port Relocation in Spotlight

A Fiji Ports official said today that the surprise announcement by the US, Australia, India, and Japan to build a port in Fiji has raised hopes that the 'Quad' may support the Pacific nation's $1 billion-plus plan to relocate its main port. According to AFP, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka proposed a port and shipbuilding redevelopment plan to Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2023. Port of Suva is home to the Fijian naval base and currently serves as a base for about 100 Chinese fishing vessels operating in the Pacific; the Chinese naval space and missile tracking ship 'Yuanwang 7' has also docked there. Due to Australia's high vigilance regarding Beijing's military expansion in the Pacific, Canberra agreed the following year to cooperate with Fiji on wharf renovations to block Chinese investment in Fijian ports, though it did not commit to relocating the Port of Suva at the time. The US, Australia, India, and Japan officially announced at the Quad foreign ministers' meeting in India yesterday that they would cooperate on a 'demonstration' port project in Fiji. Suresh Prasad, acting CEO of Fiji Ports, told reporters that the announcement was a surprise. The company, 41% owned by the Fijian government, had previously discussed a $181 million port upgrade and a $1.82 billion Suva port relocation plan with US officials. Prasad said, 'If this is a Quad project, it is highly likely to be a major development for the Port of Suva.' Rabuka told parliament on the 25th that Fiji had reached an agreement with the US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to conduct a feasibility study on the port project; the MCC is a Washington agency that provides infrastructure grants to developing nations. He emphasized that the funds are grants, not loans. Official data shows that Fiji still owes about $109 million to Chinese state-owned banks, related to road construction and other infrastructure projects promoted a decade ago.