Fiji prime minister warns against US and China attempts to ‘polarise’ Pacific

Sitiveni Rabuka says island countries must be zone of non-aligned territories' and hopes big powers will avoid military conflict

The Pacific islands should be a zone of peace", Fiji's prime minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, has said, adding that he hopes a rivalry between the US and China in the strategic region does not develop into a military conflict.

Rabuka was speaking after attending a summit meeting of several Pacific island leaders, where climate change and regional security dominated the agenda. The leaders of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia's ruling FLNKS party met in Vanuatu on Thursday.