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Australia-Tuvalu pact inked with an eye on China raises hopes of further Pacific deals
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and his Tuvaluan counterpart Kausea Natano during the Pacific Islands Forum in the Cook Islands on Nov 9.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
SYDNEY - The sudden announcement on Nov 10 of a landmark security and migration deal between Australia and Tuvalu has been seen as a diplomatic triumph for Canberra, and suggests its recent diplomatic legwork in the Pacific has paid off.
In the past decade, Australia has become increasingly anxious – if not obsessed – about the growing reach of Beijing in the Pacific and the prospect that China may establish a military post in one of the island states to Australia’s north.
