Politics in the Pacific

The BBC News headline summed it beautifully: ‘Australia’s Telstra buys Pacific firm “to block China”.’

If there was ever any doubt that the Australian Government has embarked on an ABC – anyone but China – policy when it comes to trade, economics, national security and strategic partnerships, the $2.1 billion purchase of a small Pacific telecoms operator put paid to that.

Let’s cut to the chase: this was a political decision by Canberra to block Chinese from buying an important telecoms asset in the heart of one of the most politically contested – and potentially volatile – regions in the world.
Digicel, owned by an Irish entrepreneur, employs around 1,700 people across the Pacific: in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa and Tahiti. it’s a communications minnow on the global stage, but its strategic importance is underscored by the zealous pursuit of Digicel by the Australian Government. In short, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the China “hawks” who are increasingly influential in Australia’s national security posturings, could not afford for Beijing to get its hands on Digitcel’s mobile telecoms network.
The battle for the Pacific is heating up, indeed.

Here, at Secret City Media, we believe there’s huge potential in creating and writing and producing compelling drama that tells the story of the rise of China on the global stage. Sophisticated dramas, like Secret City, which offer an entertaining insight into the great dance of nations between two global superpowers.

We will have more to say about this in the very near future.