China’s Soft Power in the Pacific: The Example of the Solomon Islands and the Pacific Games 2023 Project

In parallel with the growing interest for the Indo-Pacific region, Oceania has proven to be a strategic pivot for great powers, not only through its geolocation but also its resources, its spaces, and its actors. However, and although it already was the subject of a European scramble during the colonial period, Oceania and its island states are no longer in the spotlight nowadays due to the significant development of China and its presence in the region and worldwide. Yet, the Oceania Island states are certainly geographically small, but they prove to be of crucial support especially given the current context in the South China Sea and for the Indo-Pacific Axis…