Good morning.
In Taiwan’s Kinmen islands, blacksmith Wu Tseng Dong – a local legend among tourists – crafts old Chinese artillery shells into knives for sale.
Thousands of miles away in the idyllic Solomon Islands, its Chinese residents are still reeling from last year’s riots in Chinatown which were fuelled, in part, by anger against China’s influence.
Two new documentaries tell the stories of different islanders in the presence of a common behemoth: China.
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With tensions between China and Taiwan at their worst in decades, the documentary 1992 explores the complex sentiments among today’s Taiwanese, and whether a return to the peace consensus of 30 years ago is possible.
Kinmen, for example, used to be on the battle frontline for two decades. But since then, its residents have benefitted from close trade and tourism ties with the mainland. Senior producer Charles Phang says: “What struck me was that while memories of war are still fresh among Wu and other Kinmen residents, they share a pragmatic view on cross-strait relations.”
There’s resentment of President Tsai Ing-Wen’s tough stance on China – which seems to also have pervaded local elections across Taiwan last month, when her Democratic Progressive Party lost big.
Meanwhile over in the South Pacific, a war for influence is being waged.
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A security pact signed by China in early 2022 with the Solomon Islands has got the region’s traditional partners, like the US and Australia, antsy and stepping up efforts to counter this rival influence.
The series China and the New Pacific took our crew to Samoa, Fiji and the Solomon Islands to see how locals – including those of Chinese descent – are affected by this geopolitical rivalry.
We heard about past and present racism in Samoa, and resentment over the environmental impact of a Chinese resort project. But on the upside, the residents of Honiara are getting the benefit of a US navy hospital ship; a new road courtesy of Japan; and a new sports stadium from China.
“What’s ultimately clear,” says series executive producer Mark Pestana, “is that there are ample opportunities for both China and the traditional partners to support the Pacific’s development.”
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