Dodging the Real Question: DPM Fusimalohi Fumbles on Chinese Business Concerns in Tonga
By Melino Maka
Tonga Independent News
Yesterday, 24 April 2025, Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Taniela Fusimalohi held a press conference that was supposed to reflect the maturity of Tonga’s leadership at a time when the country faces difficult questions around economic sovereignty, migration, and foreign business ownership. But when a journalist asked a pointed and widely discussed question — “Should there be a limit on the number of Chinese nationals and businesses operating in Tonga?” — the response from the DPM was both disappointing and deeply revealing.
Instead of addressing the question with the seriousness it deserves, the Deputy Prime Minister danced around the issue, defaulting to vague references to the World Trade Organization (WTO), globalisation, and even human rights. He painted a picture of Tonga as helplessly bound by past agreements, incapable of taking action due to obligations made in the 1990s and early 2000s — yet offered no clarity on which specific agreements he was referring to, nor how they directly limit Tonga’s sovereignty in regulating foreign investment today.
He stated, “We have to change our customs duties for this… when these requirements were put in place, we struggled to cope,” but did not explain which WTO provision prevents Tonga from regulating the number of foreign retail shops in local villages or enforcing compliance with local labour laws. In fact, Tonga’s Foreign Investment Act already gives government discretion to define reserved sectors and set limits on foreign ownership. The problem is not globalisation — the problem is the lack of political will to apply existing law and review policy.
At one point, the DPM suggested that “if we block or discriminate against them [foreigners], it becomes a human rights issue.” This is a fundamental misreading of Tonga’s sovereign right to legislate in its national interest. Like all countries, Tonga has the right — and the obligation — to ensure that foreign investment does not compromise local livelihoods, cultural values, or economic self-reliance.
The DPM then wandered off-topic, trying to link the question to kava exports — a leap so far removed from the original inquiry that even those listening struggled to follow. A missed opportunity to show leadership turned instead into a muddled monologue.
Adding to the confusion, the Minister of Public Enterprises, Hon. Paula Piukala, offered his own contribution. He recalled how the entry of Indian nationals to Tonga was previously capped at 100, and blamed the “passport-selling” policies of past leaders for the larger influx of non-citizens. While this was a valid historical note, his implication that the Chinese community are a “right tool” for Tonga’s future shows a troubling reduction of an entire population group to an economic utility — ignoring the more nuanced realities of local frustration, unregulated business expansion, and social integration challenges.
Worse still, he repeated a familiar theme: blame the past. “The problem was past leaders,” he said, sidestepping any current responsibility. Yet the public is not asking about history; they’re asking about now. What is your government doing today to manage migration, business registration, retail dominance, and the growing resentment in townships and villages?
The Real Issue
This is not a question of racism, nor should it be framed that way. Tongans are not asking for exclusion — they are demanding fair rules, enforced transparently. Every country has systems to protect its local economy and communities. Samoa, for example, restricts foreign ownership in retail sectors under a “reserved list” policy. Why can’t Tonga?
Deputy Prime Minister Fusimalohi missed an opportunity to lead. Instead of saying: “This is a serious matter, and Cabinet will consider it carefully,” he tried to justify the status quo using arguments that were both legally shaky and politically evasive.
The truth is, the Foreign Investment Act and other related laws are fully under the control of the Government of Tonga. There is nothing stopping Parliament or Cabinet from reviewing these laws, setting caps, designating protected industries, or creating licensing thresholds based on community impact. The only obstacle is political courage.
The DPM also failed to use an example like CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women) — where Tonga’s political leaders exercised sovereignty by choosing not to ratify certain provisions — as proof that international treaties do not override national decision-making if the government is clear and united in its stance.
A Final Word
This is not just about Chinese shops or Indians or any other group. It is about Tonga’s capacity to govern its borders, economy, and values. That’s what the people want to hear. Not excuses about the WTO. Not vague theories about human rights. But a plan — a real, thoughtful, enforceable plan — to ensure that foreign investment aligns with Tonga’s national interest.
The Cabinet must take this issue seriously. The question raised by the journalist reflects what many in the villages, towns, and outer islands are asking: How do we ensure that Tongans are not left behind in their own economy?
Let us hope that next time, our leaders will offer more than recycled rhetoric — and instead, begin the long-overdue conversation Tonga deserves.
