Interpreting the Franco–Chinese legacy in the Insular Pacific. 60 years of adjustment and beyond

Abstract

Evidence suggests that the Pacific Island states and the French overseas collectivities of the Pacific may provide a unique perspective from which to assess the legacy of interactions between China and the Pacific Ocean archipelagos, both in the imperial era and in contemporary times. This article analyzes the connections—mainly human, diplomatic, and cultural—established between France and the People's Republic of China in this region, especially in French Polynesia and New Caledonia. It emphasizes the multifacetedness of existing Chinese communities in the French Pacific entities, and it examines the intermediary role of those communities in the strengthening of the local Franco–Chinese relations. It highlights how the historical evolution went from the establishment of restrictive policies by the French government in these entities, to the acclimatization of this community_, now considered a model of integration. This article examines the idea that the Franco–Chinese heritage in the French overseas collectivities, linked to migrations, could constitute an original model. But it will also underline that, compared with the diplomatic dynamics of other states in the region, boosted in recent years by the Belt and Road initiative, it seems that the links between French Polynesia, New Caledonia and the People's Republic of China remain unbalanced and fragile.