Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will arrive in Fiji on Wednesday for his latest diplomatic mission as the United States begins its biggest push in the Pacific since World War II.
Albanese will join the leaders of 17 other countries at the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Suva.
The United States will reveal details on Wednesday of what a senior member of the Biden administration said was “significantly intensifying (its) game in the Pacific islands,” in an attempt to counter China’s efforts to dominate the region.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will announce the new diplomatic push in a virtual address to Pacific leaders. (AP)
The US will offer incentives to Pacific leaders to counter Beijing movements.
Incentives include more funding for fishing, additional aid, and offers from new U.S. embassies in the Pacific, including one in Kiribati, which along with the Solomon Islands appears to be approaching China.
The measures will be presented in person to Pacific leaders on Wednesday at a virtual address by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, underscoring Washington’s efforts to underscore the importance of the Pacific to U.S. strategy.
It is unclear whether Kiribati’s decision to withdraw from the Pacific Islands Forum this week influenced the scale of the U.S. engagement.
For months, the U.S. has been promising greater engagement in the region as China tries to reach a series of agreements with Pacific leaders.
But Kiribati’s decision to go it alone as it tightens its economic and diplomatic ties with China shows the depth of diplomatic challenges in the region, and the pressure on Pacific leaders as they try to manage their internal and regional affairs.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare on the left and Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang. Pacific nations are forging closer security ties with China. (AP)
“There are clear regional and subregional dynamics at play,” said Anna Powles, a tenured professor at the Center for Defense and Security Studies at Massey University in New Zealand.
“What is not clear is what President Maamau’s game plan is, what he hopes to achieve with the withdrawal of Kiribati from the forum and how this will benefit the people of Kiribati.”
Before leaving for Fiji, Albanese said Australia wanted to remain the “preferred security partner” of its Pacific Islanders.
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But there are concerns that China’s influence in the region, especially in the Solomon Islands, threatens Australia’s place as a partner of choice.