China’s “Belt and Road” Initiative (BRI) in the Pacific Island Countries (PICs)

Lei Yu and Sophia Sui

China’s “Belt and Road” Initiative (BRI) in the Pacific Island Countries (PICs)

Geo-economic and political implications for China–PICs relations

New York · Berlin · Bruxelles · Chennai · Lausanne · Oxford

Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.

The German National Library lists this publication in the German

National Bibliography; detailed bibliographic data is available on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2025010843

The book is funded by China Social Sciences Fund: 24BGJ001

Cover design by Peter Lang Group AG

ISSN 2689-7970

ISBN 978-3-0343-5429-5 (print)

ISBN 978-3-0343-5430-1 (ebook)

ISBN 978-3-0343-5431-8 (epub)

DOI 10.3726/b22968

© 2026 Peter Lang Group AG, Lausanne (Switzerland)

Published by Peter Lang Publishing Inc., New York (USA)

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Contents

List of Figures and Tables

Interviewees in the Book

1 The Rise of China and Its Strategy of Peaceful Rise

Introduction

The Dynamics of Rising Powers and China’s Strategy

China’s rise and its strategies

China’s strategies

Conclusion

References

2 The “Belt and Road” Initiatives in the Pacific Islands

Introduction

The BRI in the South Pacific

Concluding remarks

References

3 China-PICs Strategic Partnership in the Context of the BRI

Introduction

China’s strategies

China-PICs Relations

China-PICs relations in Xi’s time

Concluding Remarks

References

4 The economic and geopolitical interests for China and the PICs

Introduction

The interests of BRI for China

The interests of China’s involvement for the PICs

Concluding remarks

References

5 Perceptions of BRI and China’s Involvement: the Chinese and Pacific Perspectives

Introduction

An Appraisal from the Chinese perspectives

An Appraisal from the PICs’ Perspectives

Conclusion

References

Index

List of Figures and Tables

Fig. 1: How great are the investment needs?

Fig. 2: The PICs that join the BRI

Table 1: China’s trade with PNG

Table 2: China’s trade with Fiji

Table 3: China’s trade with the Solomon Islands

Table 4: China’s trade with Vanuatu

Table 5: Some infrastructural projects in Tonga under the BRI

Fig. 3: China’s development finance to the Pacific

Interviewees in the Book

Chen Dezheng is a professor and former director of the China-PICs Climate Change Action Cooperation Center, Liaocheng University.

Chen Hong is a professor and the director of the Center for Australian Studies, East China Normal University.

Guo Chunmei is deputy director and associate research professor in the Institute of Southeast Asian and Oceanian Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

Kang Jian is an associate professor and research fellow in the Center for the Pacific Island Countries, Liaocheng University.

Li Jianjun is director of the Center for Australian Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Lyu Guixia is a professorial research fellow at the Center for the Pacific and Pacific Countries History, China Academy of Social Sciences.

Ni Peng is an associate professor at the Research Center for the Pacific Island Countries, Liaocheng University.

Niu Li is director of Pacific Center, Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Xu Xiujun, a professorial research fellow on the Pacific islands affairs at the China Academy of Social Sciences.

Yang Honglian, a research fellow in the Center for the Pacific Island Countries, Liaocheng University.

Yu Changsen is an associate professor and former vice director of the Center for Oceanian Studies, Sun Yatsen University.

Zhao Shaofeng is a professor and director of the Research Center for Pacific Island Countries, Liaocheng University.

The interviews conducted are aimed to help explore the dynamics that contributes to the rapid intensification of China-PICs economic cooperation and their strategic partnership, and the constraints that hamper China-PICs cooperation particularly in the spheres of security and military cooperation. Some IR academics in China were interviewed. The criteria of choice are as follows: (1) interviewees are academically specialized in the China-PICs relations; (2) interviewees have been committed to the studies on China-PICs relations for more than a decade; (3) interviewees had field work or academic exchanges in the counterpart countries in the last decade. The authors concluded from the interviews that the growing economic cooperation and trade between China and the PICs have helped intensify their relations whereas aroused concerns and worries among the traditional players.

1 The Rise of China and Its Strategy of Peaceful Rise