Anthony Albanese hosted Pacific leaders at the State of Origin in Brisbane, celebrating the binding ties of rugby league as a tool of diplomatic soft power. The event was part of a landmark week in Australian foreign policy, where the prime minister also met leaders of India, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
AFP Commissioner Reflects on Solomon Islands Mission
Krissy Barrett, then a young Australian federal police intelligence officer in 2003, recalled years of ethnic tensions and thuggish anarchy that pushed Solomon Islands to the brink. After the country's government collapsed and violent factions smashed the police, Australia stepped in with a regional assistance mission. Originally expected to last months, Australians were on the ground for nearly 15 years. In a speech in the US this week, Barrett said the fraught period shaped her leadership and outlook.
"While the true north of the Pacific Island chiefs is the rhythm of the blue ocean, constant and comforting, we acknowledge the tides are changing," she said, imploring decision-makers to adapt. "I cannot help defend and protect Australians and our sovereignty by only doing my job in Canberra, just like my fellow Pacific police chiefs cannot solely do it from Suva, Port Moresby, Apia or Majuro."
New Alliances and China's Response
Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong returned to Fiji and Solomon Islands, signing a new alliance and reinforcing efforts to check China's moves. Back home, Albanese hosted the leaders of Tonga, Samoa and Papua New Guinea in Brisbane, celebrating rugby league as diplomatic soft power. Underlying the push was an understanding that safety at home comes from safety in the region.
Beijing, the biggest loser from the week, lashed out with a ballistic missile test, reminding Australia of the importance of its position with Pacific countries. New Solomons leader Matthew Wale described the test of a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine as "further evidence for the need" for a new regional security pact.
Strategic Stakes and China's Ambitions
Albanese is clear that Xi Jinping's regime aims to "increase their influence at a minimum, and hegemony in the longer term," as per his Lowy Institute piece. Former ambassador to Beijing Graham Fletcher agreed, writing that "China plainly wants to win, in everything," including displacing the US in global leadership. With the US looking less reliable under Donald Trump, Australia's biggest trading partner emerges as a superior military power.
One of the government's worst nightmares is China establishing a permanent military base in the Pacific. This makes Pacific diplomacy—agreements with Tuvalu, Nauru, PNG, Vanuatu, and ongoing negotiations with Solomon Islands and Tonga—all the more important. The deals require consultation on defence and security moves, giving Canberra early insight into decisions affecting regional harmony.
New Zealand Signals Interest in Ocean of Peace Alliance
On Friday, New Zealand signalled it could join the Ocean of Peace alliance with Fiji. The alliance says Australia and Fiji will "act to meet the common danger" if either is attacked, and that an armed action against either would be dangerous for Pacific peace. Consultation provisions would stop any drift towards China as a security partner for Fiji.
Wong said that faced with much more geopolitical competition and the largest militarisation since the second world war, much more cooperation with countries in the region was needed.
India Ties Strengthened
Albanese hosted India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Melbourne, signing deals including Australian uranium exports for nuclear energy. Modi's presence prompted bear hugs and stadium appearances before the Indian diaspora. Absent was discussion of human rights challenges from Modi's grip on Indian society, including treatment of Muslims and targeting of human rights campaigners. As the Quad security grouping loses steam due to Trump's fight with Modi, bilateral engagement with Australia might be an important backstop.
Barrett told colleagues in New York that "size or influence do not decide ambition." The work of Albanese and Wong demonstrates that Labor clearly agrees.
