China FM visits Kiribati where fishing ground is at stake

By NICK PERRY
Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — China’s foreign minister is visiting the remote Pacific nation of Kiribati, where the future of a vast fishing ground is at stake. The four-hour visit by Wang Yi is his second stop on an eight-nation tour that comes amid concerns about Beijing’s military and financial ambitions in the South Pacific. Kiribati has closed its borders as it tries to stamp out a COVID-19 outbreak but made an exception for Wang and his delegation. At stake in Kiribati is the future of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, a stretch of ocean the size of California that is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Kiribati’s president has announced plans to end a commercial fishing ban there. China already dominates fishing in the region.