Australia and the Pacific
A Pacific power play could prove the Quad’s relevance
Last December, I trekked around some of the most remote corners of the Solomon Islands province of Malaita. The communities that hosted me – small villages littered with colourful…
Bracing for 3000 Pacific Engagement Visas
The Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) program is expected to go live in the coming weeks – a promise by the Labor government to draw 3000 eligible citizens from across the Blue…
PNG’s trade ties with China are set to strengthen
Richard Maru, PNG’s trade minister, was startlingly direct at the Australia–Papua New Guinea Business Forum and Trade Expo held in Port Moresby last month. “Enough is enough,” he…
PNG voices: regional partnerships must be based on respect
When Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the Papua New Guinea parliament in January, he entitled his speech “a bond between equals”. There was much in his address…
Answers needed on the Pacific Engagement Visa
After a recent ministerial meeting, Australia agreed to expedite visa applications from Papua New Guinea, including moving the visa processing office from Fiji to PNG, an…
The Australia-New Zealand alliance in a war with China
A week before New Zealand declared a National State of Emergency for the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle, Chris Hipkins made the pilgrimage to Canberra expected of…
Commentary
Australia cements ties with PNG, reinforces role in Pacific
This article originally appeared in the Economist Intelligence Unit, 16 January 2023.
Chinese aid to the Pacific: decreasing, but not disappearing
Chinese engagement in the Pacific regularly hit the headlines in 2022, sometimes with dire warnings. The recent China–Solomon Islands security agreement sent shock waves across…
Weaving webs of statecraft in the Pacific Islands
The April 2022 news that China and Solomon Islands had entered into a security pact solidified perceptions that Australia and its partners were in a race with China for “influence…
Confident, competent, inconsistent: Australia’s strategic personality
There is broad agreement that Australian diplomacy and defence policy need to change to meet the challenges posed by a more dynamic region. But does Australia need something more …