Trouble in the Pacific

To West Europeans, the Pacific seems impossibly distant, militarily speaking, whereas to Americans it is on their western doorstep. Yet history has left its legacies: The British are aware that they have distant cousins in Australasia, especially when cricketing tours are in the news; and the French still have a few Oceanic specks under their flag, such as Gauguin’s Tahiti and New Caledonia.

Suddenly, Oceania is in crisis. To be precise, two crises are unfolding: in New Zealand’s relations with the U.S., and in France’s relations with rebellious locals on New Caledonia. The two situations are linked, and not only by geography. From the standpoint of this column, the key common factor is the nuclear question.

BC

About the Author

Brian Crozier

Featured Tags

To West Europeans, the Pacific seems impossibly distant, militarily speaking, whereas to Americans it is on their western doorstep. Yet history has left its legacies: The British are aware that they have distant cousins in Australasia, especially when cricketing tours are in the news; and the French still have a few Oceanic specks under their flag, such as Gauguin’s Tahiti and New Caledonia.

Suddenly, Oceania is in crisis. To be precise, two crises are unfolding: in New Zealand’s relations with the U.S., and in France’s relations with rebellious locals on New Caledonia. The two situations are linked, and not only by geography. From the standpoint of this column, the key common factor is the nuclear question.