New MP welcomes Chinese presence in Kiribati

Kiribati's newest parliamentarian Ruth Cross Kwansing says she aims to help move her country from being "too reliant" on the support it gets to becoming more self-sufficient.

Kwansing, 45, is one of the five female MPs - three of them new - elected in Kiribati's recent election.

She says securing a seat in parliament has been "overwhelming" but the real work starts soon.

She says Kiribati needs a lot of help but is unable to implement and deliver projects from the assistance it receives.

Kwansing told Pacific Mornings' William Terite that challenges the government faced have impeded its work to improve the lives of i-Kiribati.

Taneti Maamau and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Photo/supplied

Located 4700km north of New Zealand, the Republic of Kiribati is in the Micronesian subregion with a population of 119,000.

Kwansing says her vision for Kiribati is to have health, peace, and prosperity, "the three blessings from our forefathers - Te Mauri, Te Raoi, and Te Tabomoa".

Kwansing says she is feeling "overwhelming gratitude" for the trust that has been placed on her shoulders.

"That fervent desire, the calling that we've all felt in stepping forward for this role."

Kwansing has thrown her support behind incumbent President Taneti Maamau's Tobwaan Kiribati Party because she's seen many "positive outcomes" from the TKP.

Maamau retained his parliamentary seat in a landslide victory. Under his presidency, Kiribati has drawn closer to China after switching ties from Taiwan when he came to power in 2019.

i-Kiribati were more interested in what election candidates could do to improve their livelihoods than geopolitics. Photo/Rimon Rimon

Maamau has been criticised for this move, but Kwansing says she supports China's presence in Kiribati.

"I had actually already moved back to Kiribati around the time that that switch happened. I saw the huge controversy that happened locally.

"I'd never seen that level of even activism and vocal because we're a very peaceful country and we're very accepting, resilient, and supportive of the decisions that our leaders make.

"But we found at that time there was a huge wave of concern because I guess that that friendship had existed and people were quite comfortable.

"There was a big challenge, not just for the government at the time, but even for China as they came in to resume that. So what I've seen since then, much to my happiness is a lot of positive outcomes,

"I don't know that we really quite understood at the time that that was what was going to happen in terms of the geopolitical implications and how it reignited interest in the Pacific region, particularly Kiribati.

"I think at the time they were making a decision that that seemed like the right thing to do for our government because it had been a switch from China to Taiwan once upon a time and then it was another switchback.

"And so, you know, when it happened, the things that we've seen come out of it have been not just for the benefit of Kiribati but for other Pacific Islands as well.

The votes have been counted in Kiribati with 17 new MPs elected. Photo/Rimon Rimon

"We're seeing positive developments, road infrastructure, and other things because I think initially the support has been more focused on building that relationship, but now we're actually starting to see some really great things coming out of it that the country is really excited about."

Kwansing says the party is yet to discuss or re-examine China, adding more will be known in the coming weeks.

She says while the issue of China has been controversial internationally, for i-Kiribati "we've seen the way they have integrated into the local culture.

"I guess the culture and traditions and things that they've brought with them are really also resonating with the Kiribati people as well, given that they do have such a great cultural heritage themselves. So we're finding that people are quite enjoying it."

Kwansing says the new MPs will be sworn into parliament next week, and the popular vote to elect the president will be held next month.

In the meantime, the lobbying and debates on which person the MPs support for president.

Watch Ruth Cross Kwansing's full interview below.