Source:
https://scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3019714/australia-will-create-new-pacific-military-unit-counter
Asia/ Australasia

Australia will create new Pacific military unit to counter Chinese influence in the region

  • The announcement came during a six-day visit by Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape
  • PNG is rich in commodity resources and is considered vital in securing influence in the region but has increasingly turned to China for finance
Australian troops take part in a military exercise in Queensland. Photo: Reuters

Australia will create a new military unit dedicated to training and assisting Pacific allies, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said on Tuesday, as Canberra accelerates plans to undercut Chinese influence in the region.

Australia, which long enjoyed virtually unchecked influence in the Pacific, and its Western allies worry that the region has edged closer to China in recent years as Beijing increases aid to the sparsely populated region and its resource-rich oceans.