Pacific Island Microstates: Pawns or Players in Pacific Rim Diplomacy?

Abstract

Microstates are unique participants in the international arena. Many of the world's microstates are located in the Pacific basin and are characterized by limited natural and human resources. Because they are so small and isolated, the Pacific microstates are frequently overlooked diplomatically in the larger, international system. Conversely, diplomacy is often their only effective instrument of statecraft for making an impact within the international system on issues critical to their national interests.In contrast to the belief that the microstates are mere pawns in international relations, this text will view the Pacific microstates as active participants in diplomacy by exploring their involvement in two broad strands of Pacific Rim diplomacy: • The political struggle between the People's Republic of China andTaiwan for influence in the Pacific region, diplomatic recognition, and support in the United Nations and other international agencies.• Fishing issues between Japan, the microstates, and other regional powers as illustrated within the International Whaling Commission.The article will show that reciprocity is the key concept and mechanism governing their diplomatic arrangements with Taiwan and Japan. The conclusion suggests two ideas for these microstates in dealing with their larger neighbors on the above issues, and summarizes their active, rather than passive, diplomatic role in Pacific Rim international relations.

Triumph of the West? The politics of legitimacy in Asia

“…Though the legitimacy of such vote-buying has been questioned, the larger question concerns the benefits of such diplomacy*whether it exposes these states to greater control and exploitation by powerful nations. 10 But as Stringer (2006) demonstrates, the situation is complex, and these Pacific Island microstates are not simply pawns in Pacific Rim diplomacy. For example, they have benefited from the People's Republic of ChinaÁTaiwan rivalry in the region, which has as its source Taiwan's attempt to reassert its legitimacy in the international community through trade and economic assistance.…”

“…For the smallest states in the region, especially the Pacific states with very small populations, limited natural resources and relative isolation, Triumph of the West? 571 sovereign equality has been an important means for pursuing their national interest (Stringer 2006). UN membership (except for Niue and the Cook Islands), as well as membership of other international bodies such as the International Whaling Commission, has allowed these microstates to exercise their voting rights in ways that advance their political and economic interests.…”

All the world is a stage: global governance, human resources, and the ‘problem’ of smallness

“…As the Kiribati politician quoted at the beginning of this article articulates (see also Corbett 2013), strategically adept Pacific SIS can derive benefits from IOs by leveraging aid, support from larger states like Russia, Taiwan, and China (Stringer 2006;Van Fossen 2007), and by voting in blocs (like the ACP). There are also substantial benefits associated with being classified as 'small' and 'developing' by IOs: membership of the UN Small Island Developing States network, for example, or access to the Commonwealth Secretariat's Small States Office.…”

State transformation and the domestic politics of foreign aid in Taiwan

“…Despite several scholars noting its weaknesses (Chan 1997, 55À6;Chen 2002, 106;Cheng 1992, 78;Hsieh 1996, 102;Lee 1994, 331 and 350;Wu 1995, 34), the overall mood was one of optimism: Taiwan's 'handsome foreign aid programmes' could 'buy' diplomatic ties with micro-states indefinitely (Wang 2002, 99). Gradually, scholarship began discussing the impact of Taiwan's aid diplomacy on aid recipients' domestic politics (Dobell 2007;Stringer 2006;Taylor 2002;Walsh 2001) and foreign aid's increasing geostrategic ineffectiveness given China's greater financial leverage (Erikson and Chen 2007, 83;Tubilewicz 2007;Tubilewicz and Guilloux 2011). Still, the emphasis on foreign aid as a diplomatic instrument has remained central to most analyses of Taiwan's foreign aid: studies examining Taiwan's specific aid programmes have been rare (Baker and Edmonds 2004;Chien et al 2010;Liu 2009), while scholarship on 'emerging donors' says little about the pattern of Taiwan's donorship (Dreher et al 2011(Dreher et al , 1956Kragelund 2008, 570).…”