No Fijian soldiers going to Taiwan Strait: Tikoduadua
Mr Lal, a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, questioned whether Australia's growing alignment with the United States could draw Fiji into a conflict in the Taiwan Strait or South China Sea.
Sunday 08 November 2026 | 09:00
Minister for Defence Pio Tikoduadua and Opposition MP Virendra Lal.
Ronald Kumar.
Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua has rejected concerns that Fiji's mutual defence treaty with Australia could draw the country into a war over Taiwan.
“No one is going to the Taiwan Strait. I want to make that clear,” Mr Tikoduadua told Parliament on Friday.
His comments came after Opposition MP Virendra Lal warned that the Ocean of Peace Alliance, also known as the Veitacini Treaty, could expose Fiji to military conflicts involving Australia and its allies.
Related stories
Mr Lal, a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, questioned whether Australia's growing alignment with the United States could draw Fiji into a conflict in the Taiwan Strait or South China Sea.
“A collective defence alliance is not an ordinary agreement. It commits to war,” he said.
Mr Lal also questioned why Fiji should accept binding defence obligations when Australia's September 23 agreement with Ukraine, a country at war, was legally non-binding.
Public Works Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau and Mr Tikoduadua raised points of order during Mr Lal's contribution.
Speaker Filimone Jitoko allowed Mr Lal to present his interpretation of the treaty but cautioned him against extending its provisions to matters it did not cover.
Mr Tikoduadua said Australia's other defence agreements would not apply to Fiji.
He also said the Republic of Fiji Military Forces “trains for war”, rejecting Mr Lal's argument that the military was built for peacekeeping.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka clarified that Article 6 of the Veitacini Treaty was limited to an armed attack in the Pacific.
He said the provision did not automatically commit Fiji to conflicts outside the region.
Opposition MP Jone Usamate also questioned the treaty's implications for Fiji's foreign policy, describing Article 6 as a “war clause”.
Mr Usamate asked whether Fiji would remain non-aligned, as outlined in its foreign policy white paper.
Mr Tikoduadua said Fiji and Australia would continue to make independent, sovereign decisions on their foreign and security relationships.
Parliament later approved the Veitacini Treaty.
