Fiji recently announced it will send another delegation to China next month to promote trade and investment - the latest in an ongoing push to strengthen ties between the two countries. It follows moves to allow Chinese tourists into Fiji without visas, as New Zealand and Australia have imposed sanctions on Fiji since after last year's coup. Fiji's ambassador-designate to China, Sir James Ah Koy, is optimistic about the possibility of half a million Chinese tourists coming to Fiji. But Dr Tarte, a University of the South Pacific academic, says thats highly unlikely. ''I know Chinese tourists when they do go overseas they look for shopping experiences, they look for casinos and historic sites, and Fiji doesn't have a lot in that area to offer. They're not seen as the kind of tourists who'd lie in the sun on a beach.'' Top of Page |