Ambassador of Fiji to China | |
---|---|
Inaugural holder | Luke Ratuvuki |
Formation | 2001 |
The Fijian ambassador in Beijing is the official representative of the government in Suva to the Government of the People's Republic of China.
Diplomatic agrément/Diplomatic accreditation | Ambassador | Observations | Prime Minister of Fiji | List of premiers of China | Term end |
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2001 | Luke Ratuvuki | [1] | Laisenia Qarase | Zhu Rongji | April 2004 |
April 2004 | Jeremaia Waqanisau | [2] | Laisenia Qarase | Wen Jiabao | 2006 |
2007 | James Ah Koy | Frank Bainimarama | Wen Jiabao | March 15, 2011 | |
March 15, 2011 | Esala Teleni | Commodore [3] | Frank Bainimarama | Wen Jiabao | November 2014 |
Fiji has experienced many coups recently, in 1987, 2000, and 2006. Fiji has been suspended various times from the Commonwealth of Nations, a grouping of mostly former British colonies. It was readmitted to the Commonwealth in December 2001, following the parliamentary election held to restore democracy in September that year, and has been suspended again because of the 2006 coup, but has been readmitted a second time after the 2014 election. Other Pacific Island governments have generally been sympathetic to Fiji's internal political problems and have declined to take public positions.
Oceania is, to the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China, a stage for continuous diplomatic competition. The PRC dictates that no state can have diplomatic relations with both the PRC and the ROC. As of 2019, ten states in Oceania have diplomatic relations with the PRC, and four have diplomatic relations with the ROC. These numbers fluctuate as Pacific Island nations re-evaluate their foreign policies, and occasionally shift diplomatic recognition between Beijing and Taipei. The issue of which "Chinese" government to recognize has become a central theme in the elections of numerous Pacific Island nations, and has led to several votes of no-confidence.
Fiji and South Korea established official diplomatic relations in January 1971, Korea having recognised Fiji's accession to independence the previous year. There is a South Korean embassy in Suva and a Fijian embassy in Seoul. Fiji opened its embassy in Seoul in July 2012 to "foster trade and investment" and to "promote people-to-people exchanges".
The Republic of the Fiji Islands was the first Pacific Island country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, in 1975. China established an embassy in Fiji in 1976, and Fiji opened its embassy in China in 2001.