China's Xi promises stronger Fiji ties in world of 'turmoil' 

Beijing — Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to strengthen ties with Fiji in a world beset with "turmoil" as he met the Pacific island's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka in Beijing on Tuesday. China has stepped up its courtship of South Pacific nations in recent years, triggering concern among Western powers — particularly the United States and Australia — that have historically held sway over the region. Rabuka met Xi in Beijing's Great Hall of the People after touring the length and breadth of China for more than a week.