Opinion | Australia should offer ‘Pacific family’ visa access and not react whack-a-mole to China moves

Australia is at the forefront to forge closer ties with its ‘Pacific family’ amid competition for influence from China and others

But it has taken whack-a-mole steps in response to China instead of genuine acts such as visa-free entry

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Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L) greets Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in Suva on July 13, 2022. Photo: AFP

Published: 7:00pm, 11 Aug 2023

During his recent speech at the Solomon Islands National University, Australia’s Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy said strategic competition was an “unavoidable reality for our region”.

In July, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare visited China; French President Emmanuel Macron travelled to Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia; and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a trip to Tonga (Australia and New Zealand).

This follows visits by an array of leaders and senior officials to the region over the past year. There have been several high-level dialogues, including the historic United States-Pacific Island Country Summit in September 2022.

Reflecting its proximity and historic role, Australia has been at the forefront of this competition. Since launching its “Pacific step-up” in 2018, it has committed billions of dollars (on top of being the largest donor), and instigated a raft of security, infrastructure and other activities.

But too often Australia’s initiatives have resembled whack-a-mole reactions to China’s activities. For example, the government funded Telstra to buy Digicel Pacific after China Mobile expressed interest. It also built the Coral Sea Cable after Huawei bid to lay it, and it redeveloped the Black Rock Peacekeeping and Humanitarian & Disaster Relief Camp after China indicated interest. Australia’s Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific seeks to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure lending, motivated by – disputed – claims about “debt-trap diplomacy”.

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