Proposed Pacific island summit a positive diplomatic move

When Papua New Guinean Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, during a visit to Fiji on Monday, mentioned China's plan for a summit of Pacific island leaders later this year, it no doubt never entered his mind that it could spark such a firestorm in Australia and New Zealand.

In an address to Fiji's parliament, O'Neill said that President Xi Jinping wishes to hold a meeting in Papua New Guinea ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum that is to be held in Port Moresby from Nov 11 to Nov 18.

This caused consternation in Australia and New Zealand, with New Zealand's acting prime minister Winston Peters issuing a warning about rising geopolitical tensions in the region as a result of Beijing's attempt to fill what he said was a "vacuum" in the region.