Chinese Assistance in the Pacific: Agency, Effectiveness and the Role ofPacificIsland Governments

C hinese development assistance in the P acific has attracted increasing attention since the 1st C hina‐ P acific I sland C ountries E conomic D evelopment and C ooperation F orum in 2006, at which C hina announced US $492 million in concessional loans to the region. Another US $1 billion in concessional loans was announced at the 2nd C hina‐ P acific F orum in 2013. This article explores how Pacific island governments negotiate and oversee the implementation of C hinese official development assistance in four P acific I sland case study countries where assistance has been significant: T onga, V anuatu, S amoa and the C ook I slands. We argue that the way in which governments have pursued, overseen and implemented projects has differed considerably, and is an important determinant of the effectiveness and developmental impact of C hinese assistance.