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Ruth Cross Guancin
photo: Facebook/Ruth Cross Kwansing
A newly elected member of parliament in Kiribati said that the current government’s decision in 2019 to rebuild bilateral relations with China at the expense of Taiwan’s interests now seems to be beneficial.
Ruth Cross Kwansing is One of five women elected This week, they will enter the 45-seat Maneaba ni Maungatabu (Parliament).
Guansing ran for the Tainano Municipal Council seat in South Tarawa province and was one of three successful candidates in the largest constituency.
She told New Zealand’s Pacific Radio that when Taneti Maamau’s government severed ties with Taipei and established links with Beijing, there was uncertainty and concern in the community.
But she said they appeared to be doing so “in the best interest of the country.”
“Four years later, I think the friendship between China and Kiribati is stronger and has reignited interest in the Pacific region in both countries, which seems to be a positive outcome as well,” she said.
Guan Xin said China’s growing influence in the Pacific region is no longer a focus of domestic attention, but an international one.
She said most people in Kiribati have now accepted the shift and discussions are focusing on how to best leverage support from China and other donor partners.
“In Kiribati, like most countries, we only care about what we need and the support we need.
“I find it interesting that China really doesn’t get a lot of attention because we have several countries stationed with us, China is one of them, and the last administration decided to explore this important relationship.
“We certainly didn’t understand the geopolitical implications of that, but we did understand that everything the government of the day did was in the best interests of the country. I think (the government) protected the interests of the country while getting the support that the country needed.”
The first session of the 13th Kiribati Parliament will be held on September 13.
photo: RNZ Pacific/Korowa Ka’uta
Improving government inefficiency is “very possible”
Guan Xin ran in the 2024 election as an independent candidate and was one of three women elected for the first time.
Other female candidates include Lavinia Titao Thiem (Abaiang) and Ruta Gbagbo Manat (Maiana), former Speaker Tangariki Reit (Betio) and Leader of the Opposition in the last parliament Tessi Elia Lambourne (Abemama).
She is weighing up which party to side with, but she would like to see more MPs in her constituency.
She said many activities in Kiribati, including health, education and government activities are concentrated in South Tarawa and more MPs will help get the job done.
“My biggest worry, if you will, is how we implement the various programs and the development aid we receive,” she said.
Guansing said that as a development worker, she had seen many inefficiencies, “or the slowness of existing government mechanisms” that hampered the implementation of much-needed projects aimed at improving the livelihoods of the people of Kiribati.
“So, that’s the mindset that I’m coming into this office with, hopefully, we can actually change the way things operate and make things more efficient. And I believe that’s very possible,” she added.
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