CANBERRA (Pacnews) — Australia’s Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has dismissed claims by Fiji’s military that China will provide the sort of aid and assistance given by Australia and other developed countries.
Fiji’s military leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama told reporters that, he will look to China and other Asian nations if Australia, New Zealand, the U.S. France and Britain refuse to accept his leadership and keep cutting aid.
Downer said Bainimarama was mistaken.
“It is not a statement which should be taken seriously, because we’re in constant communication with the Chinese government, we know what China’s views of these things are,” Downer said. “And you know, these sort of threats of replacing Australian aid with aid from China and son on, they just don’t make sense, it’s not going to happen.”
Meanwhile business groups in Fiji are urging the Australian government to urgently review its travel advisory to the country, which they say is having a devastating effect on the tourism industry.
They believe it’s starting to look like a form of sanction against Fiji.
The Fiji Australia Business Council wants the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to soften its travel advisory for Fiji which hasn’t been downgraded since the coup there a month ago.
The level 4 rating is the second highest and warns people to reconsider their need to travel.
Business council president Caz Tebbutt Dennis said the advisory completely misrepresents the situation on the ground.