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Ron Crocombe (2007) Asia in the Pacific Islands: Replacing the West, Suva, Fiji Islands, Institute of Pacific Studies Publications, University of the South Pacific, xix+622pp, paperback, AUS$49.00, ISBN: 978-982020388-4.
Ron Crocombe's book, based on extensive research and keen observation over many decades, grapples with the new geo-political and economic configurations occurring in the Pacific. Privileging the perspective of Pacific Islanders, he provides a broad history of Asian (and European and American) involvement in the Island Pacific, while detailing the growing influence of various Asian nations and nationals as they re-shape Pacific Islands in dramatic new ways through trade, investment and aid. The intense influx of Asian capital, goods and people in the Pacific is accompanied by unmatched and unsustainable resource extraction. Crocombe underscores the region's importance, noting that two thirds of the world's peoples live in countries bordering the Pacific, with some two thirds of international trade taking place among these states (p. 442). The book usefully challenges us to rethink a Euro-American-centric view of Pacific Islands and the world.
Crocombe argues that these recent developments signal a power shift in which Asia is replacing the West in the region. While Western Nations have been closing embassies and reducing aid and membership in regional organizations, Asian countries have been filling those gaps and amassing regional power. He suggests that the main influences are likely to be from Japan, China, Taiwan and South Korea (p. 441), while Europe and the USA are expected to decline in regional importance. Current patterns of Asian involvement and investment...