By Robert Matau, Islands Business International, Cairns, Australia

As China’s economy grows, a donor agency in the Pacific predicts that China’s influence will grow in the 10 years.

Ajay Chhibber Assistant Secretary General and Regional Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) based in New York said as China grows and Asia becomes more and more the centre of economic gravity in the world, it will become more and more involved in the Pacific.

He said China is amongst the rapid growing economies of Asia and it would its economic influence will be positive for the region.

“For example, I can imagine more and more tourists will come from these countries as their income grows they will have more money to spend and the distance from these countries to the Pacific is much smaller

“Similarly there would be opportunities because China’s demand for resources, minerals and other commodities is huge so there will be opportunities as well “I predict over the next ten years China’s relationship with the Pacific will grow and grow as it will with other Asian countries.

Mr Chhibber said China does not like to be called a donor – it’s a partnership but in different ways their role will be important.

“I don’t think the others will decline but this will be an additional source of support for the Pacific,” he said.  “I do not see any problem’s with China’s aid, said the UNDP senior executive

SOURCE: IB/PACNEWS

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