Title page

Contents

KEY FINDINGS 4

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4

INTRODUCTION 6

CHINA'S PACIFIC AID AND DEVELOPMENT BLUEPRINT 9

AMERICA AND AUSTRALIA RESPOND 13

The costs of geopolitical competition 15

THE PACIFIC CALLS FOR COOPERATION 18

New directions for regional collaboration 20

MULTILATERAL FINANCE 20

THE CLIMATE CRISIS 23

Blue Pacific partnerships 26

CONCLUSION 28

NOTES 30

Figure 1. Pacific Islands Countries and the traditional partner relations 7

Figure 2A. Development partner financing for infrastructure 10

Figure 2B. Development partner financing for climate-focused projects 10

Figure 3. Chinese aid to the Pacific 11

Figure 4. Multilateral development finance to Pacific islands rising rapidly 11

Figure 5. Official development finance to the Pacific 16

Figure 6. Calls for Pacific cooperation 19

Figure 7A. Pacific Islands Countries multi-hazard climate risk 24

Figure 7B. Multidimensional Vulnerability Index applied to Pacific Islands Countries 24