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Tomorrow’s poll in New Caledonia, a referendum on sovereignty and independence, will be followed up close by Paris but also by Beijing. China, which continues to extend its influence in the peaceful zone, is interested in the future of the archipelago and its wealth.
In the immense game of chess being played today in the heart of the Pacific, New Caledonia is a strategic asset that France fears losing and that China covets. 16,000 km from the metropolis, the Caledonian territory is endowed with considerable wealth, including 1.4 million square meters of fishing area. DIn the subsoil of New Caledonia there are also significant deposits of nickel, of which the archipelago is the 6th largest producer in the world.
Extracted from vast surface mines, more than two thirds of mineral production is today bought by a single country: China. In the event of independence, Beijing would have every interest in increasing its influence in New Caledonia. Especially since in the region, the territory is one of the only who still escapes its economic and diplomatic grip. In recent years, Beijing has already laid the groundwork for the archipelago.
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