Craig Hooper, writing for Forbes, points out the very real possibility that China, using the pretext of a rescue mission, might seize a permanent presence in Oceania well East of the First Island Chain.

The idea of coming to the aid of Chinese diaspora is very popular with the people of China. There was a very popular movie, Operation Red Sea (2018), that depicted such an expedition (trailer above), very loosely based on the evacuation of Chinese citizens from Yemen in 2015 with considerable fictionalization of the actual events. As we know, nothing goes public in China unless it serves the goals of the party.

Hooper suggests the Coast Guard is part of the solution.