Australia’s ‘political victory’ in Pacific gets ‘mild’ response from China

According to Melissa Conley Tyler, director of the Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy and Defence Dialogue, a foreign policy platform in Canberra, the plan is a collective effort to address regional security challenges, including the rise in drug trafficking and transnational crime.

“While Australia will provide the majority of the funding, the Prime Minister of Tonga has billed it as a ‘Pacific-led, Pacific-owned’ initiative that strengthens the existing regional security architecture,” Conley Tyler said. “It builds on the Australian Federal Police’s longstanding involvement in the region.”

She noted that the plan was designed by the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police, a regional body that brings together police chiefs to share information and promote regional policing arrangements.

In July, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele secured $20 million for his government during a visit to Beijing, while the leaders of Fiji and Vanuatu also visited China this year.

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China confirms signing of Solomon Islands security pact as US warns of regional instability

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Conley Tyler said Australia’s move was a “political victory” for Anthony Albanese’s government, as it “demonstrates that its approach to building relationships and positioning Australia as a partner of choice for the Pacific Islands has been successful”.

Elena Collinson, head of analysis at the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, called it a “strategic achievement” for Canberra.

“The approval of the policing plan is a diplomatic move for Canberra as it symbolises an apparent regional preference for Australia as the preferred security partner, helping to head off the possibility of a regional security deal with China,” Collinson said.

“It is clear that balancing relations with Beijing remains an important consideration for a number of Pacific Island states,” she added, noting that some leaders – such as Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai – had “quickly stressed” that the plan should not be used to serve the “geostrategic interests” of their major partners.

Collinson said it remains to be seen whether the plan can be successfully embedded into the regional architecture, as some leaders are still cautious about it.

Collinson said Australia’s police pact with its neighbours was unlikely to have a major impact on bilateral relations.

“Beijing was well aware of Australia’s efforts in the region and, with that knowledge, has taken steps towards a cautious rapprochement,” she said.

“Beijing’s response has indeed been quite restrained so far.”

Conley Tyler said Beijing’s response had been “mild”. “Australia’s objectives in the Pacific are very clear to Beijing and the existence of ongoing low-level friction is built into the stabilised relationship,” she added.

Edward Chan Sing-yue, a postdoctoral researcher in China studies at the Australian National University, said the Pacific island states were generally open to cooperation with both Beijing and Canberra.

“Because they are small host states, they are not particularly interested in regional politics or Australia-China relations and tend to be more pragmatic,” he said.

“The initiative symbolises Australia’s growing engagement with the South Pacific through security cooperation, rethinking its role as the dominant power in the region and what more it can do to improve relationships with South Pacific countries beyond regime building and foreign aid.”