Australia admits failings in Pacific, vows to counter China’s influence
- Minister insists Canberra’s development of security bases in the region was not the same type of militarisation Beijing has been accused of
Australia has admitted it had not focused enough attention on its Pacific neighbourhood but vowed to make “long overdue” amends, amid growing Chinese influence in the region.
“I think we would have to accept some criticism,” said Australia’s minister for international development and the Pacific Anne Ruston on Friday. “We have perhaps not put as much attention and effort into our own region as we should of.”
In recent months, Ruston has been at the sharp end of trying to fix that – jetting to-and-from Australia and far-flung Pacific Islands, as part of Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s “step-up” in the region.
The policy includes more aid, more security help, more diplomats working in the region and more face-to-face contacts.
It is, in large part, a response to Beijing’s growing economic, political and military activity in the region.
“I think we’ve had our focus gazed much further afield for a very long time,” said Ruston. “It has certainly, more recently, been forced to be refocused back onto our own region. That’s a good thing and it was certainly long overdue.”