How China’s presence has grown in the Pacific in the past decade

From small diplomatic measures to a doubling of trade, China’s interests in Pacific Island nations have expanded in the past decade. 

Now, in a world of growing geopolitical instability and tension over Taiwan, China is in the position of being an enduring partner to the region.

China's former ambasador to the US recently pointed to Australia treating the Pacific as a “backyard,” still holding a view stuck in the past, while China wants a more ‘modern’ relationship with its neighbours.