Ordering the Islands? Pacific Responses to China's Strategic Narratives.

This article examines the effectiveness of China's deployment of narrative power in the Pacific Islands by analyzing how its strategic narratives—historical/colonial experience, South–South cooperation, and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)—have been received, interpreted, and instrumentalised by leaders in Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Samoa. It finds that while these Pacific leaders have incorporated elements of China's narratives into their discourse, they have done so selectively and primarily to advance their own national interests rather than China's, demonstrating the limits of China's narrative power in reshaping regional order. The study highlights the agency of Pacific Island countries in engaging with, adapting, or resisting China's narratives within their unique cultural and political contexts, and notes that China's narratives have indirectly influenced metropolitan powers such as the USA, Australia, and New Zealand to adjust their policies and counter-narratives in the region. Overall, the article underscores the complexity of narrative influence and cautions against overestimating China's ability to unilaterally shape Pacific regional dynamics through ideational means.