With five key Pacific Islands leaders absent and China reportedly furious about Taiwan’s presence, the forum needs to find unity to remain effective.
- Associate Professor of International Relations, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University
Organised crime has taken root in the Pacific and many countries are struggling to respond.
The Foreign Minister’s focus on the Pacific is already beginning to pay off with new security treaties and increased military collaboration with neighbouring Pacific nations.
What has Labor promised, and to what extent is this issue really an election game-changer?
Australia ensured its official communique watered down commitments to respond to climate change, gaining a hollow victory.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s historic visit to Vanuatu is centred around security. This fits a pattern shifting the focus from development to militarisation in Australia’s Pacific foreign policy.
A key question heading into the Pacific Islands Forum is whether Australia can negotiate a new regional security agreement that heeds Pacific leaders’ concerns.
Australia has long been concerned about foreign powers gaining influence in the Pacific, but China’s involvement in the region may not be as nefarious as it fears.
The reports are speculative at best, but that hasn’t stopped a torrent of over-wrought commentary on Chinese military expansion and the potential threat to Australia.
A more muscular foreign policy in our region would carry risks, but it might also show Australia and its neighbours that the US has its interests at heart.
Recent commentary has compared the situation in West Papua to genocide and drawn parallels to East Timor. There seems to be little doubt that human rights abuses have occurred over a long period of time…
Contact Michael for
- General
- Media request
- Speaking request
- Consulting / Advising
- Research collaboration
- Research supervision
- Website
- Article Feed
- ORCID
- Joined
