Aussie govt pursues climate diplomacy in the Pacific as China’s influence grows in region
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For the past five years, Australia has been trying to improve ties with Pacific island nations amid concerns about China’s growing influence in the region, but Canberra’s efforts have repeatedly encountered a stumbling block.
The difficulty for Canberra has been that Pacific leaders, whose nations are facing serious and immediate threats from rising sea levels and the changing climate, have expressed anger and disappointment at the Australian government’s failure to adopt serious climate commitments.
But the election of the new Labor government has presented an opportunity for Australia to shore up ties with the Pacific, just as China has been looking to cement security and economic deals with island states.
Australia, the largest aid donor to the region, has traditionally had close ties to its island neighbours, but has been concerned that China wants to convert its growing commercial links into security and strategic partnerships.
Seizing this opportunity, Australia’s new Foreign Minister Penny Wong rushed to visit Fiji late last week, marking her first bilateral visit in the role. In a candid address to the secretariat of the 18-country Pacific Islands Forum, she blamed previous Australian governments for “disrespecting Pacific nations in their struggle to adapt to what is an existential threat”.
“Under past governments, Australia has neglected its responsibility to act on climate change . This is a different Australian government. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with our Pacific family in response to this crisis,” she said.
Her visit came at a precarious time for Australia’s Pacific relations. China has increasingly been reaching out to Pacific nations, including signing a security deal with Solomon Islands that Canberra fears could lead to the establishment of a Chinese naval base in the maritime approaches off Australia’s north-east coast.
As Ms Wong flew out of Fiji, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi was flying in as part of a 10-day, eight-nation tour of the Pacific.
On Monday, however, the leaders of the 10 Pacific nations rejected China’s proposal for a region-wide security and economic deal, apparently because they could not reach a consensus on whether to more closely embrace Beijing.
The difficulty for Canberra has been that Pacific leaders, whose nations are facing serious and immediate threats from rising sea levels and the changing climate, have expressed anger and disappointment at the Australian government’s failure to adopt serious climate commitments.
But the election of the new Labor government has presented an opportunity for Australia to shore up ties with the Pacific, just as China has been looking to cement security and economic deals with island states.
Australia, the largest aid donor to the region, has traditionally had close ties to its island neighbours, but has been concerned that China wants to convert its growing commercial links into security and strategic partnerships.
Seizing this opportunity, Australia’s new Foreign Minister Penny Wong rushed to visit Fiji late last week, marking her first bilateral visit in the role. In a candid address to the secretariat of the 18-country Pacific Islands Forum, she blamed previous Australian governments for “disrespecting Pacific nations in their struggle to adapt to what is an existential threat”.
“Under past governments, Australia has neglected its responsibility to act on climate change . This is a different Australian government. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with our Pacific family in response to this crisis,” she said.
Her visit came at a precarious time for Australia’s Pacific relations. China has increasingly been reaching out to Pacific nations, including signing a security deal with Solomon Islands that Canberra fears could lead to the establishment of a Chinese naval base in the maritime approaches off Australia’s north-east coast.
As Ms Wong flew out of Fiji, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi was flying in as part of a 10-day, eight-nation tour of the Pacific.
On Monday, however, the leaders of the 10 Pacific nations rejected China’s proposal for a region-wide security and economic deal, apparently because they could not reach a consensus on whether to more closely embrace Beijing.
Despite this setback, China is expected to continue to seek closer ties in the Pacific as it tries to gain access to local fish stocks and resources and to potentially establish a military presence.
Mr Wang also said the Pacific nations had signalled support for increased commercial ties with China as part of its Belt and Road Initiative.
Australia is now pinning its hopes on its newfound climate diplomacy. Labor has committed to reduce carbon emissions by 43 per cent by 2030 from 2005 levels and to support climate-related infrastructure and energy projects in Pacific countries. It also wants to join with Pacific countries to co-host a future United Nations climate summit.
Pacific experts believe the new government’s climate policy will help to improve ties with island nations but have noted that Labor’s commitments are still likely to fall short of Pacific expectations. Kiribati’s former president Anote Tong has called for Labor to commit to develop no new coal or gas projects – a move Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejects.
But Labor’s election has allowed Australia to shift its diplomatic tone and attempt to demonstrate that it shares the concerns in the Pacific about the threat from climate change.
Mr Wang also said the Pacific nations had signalled support for increased commercial ties with China as part of its Belt and Road Initiative.
Australia is now pinning its hopes on its newfound climate diplomacy. Labor has committed to reduce carbon emissions by 43 per cent by 2030 from 2005 levels and to support climate-related infrastructure and energy projects in Pacific countries. It also wants to join with Pacific countries to co-host a future United Nations climate summit.
Pacific experts believe the new government’s climate policy will help to improve ties with island nations but have noted that Labor’s commitments are still likely to fall short of Pacific expectations. Kiribati’s former president Anote Tong has called for Labor to commit to develop no new coal or gas projects – a move Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejects.
But Labor’s election has allowed Australia to shift its diplomatic tone and attempt to demonstrate that it shares the concerns in the Pacific about the threat from climate change.
