Aid, ‘respect’ to counter China

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he wants Australia to be the main security partner for Pacific nations, amid revelations that China wants to broker deals that would see it train local law enforcement agencies across the region.

Foreign aid would also be part of Australia’s step up in the Pacific region to improve relations, Albanese told ABC News yesterday.

‘‘It’s not just about funding – it’s also about respect,’’ he said. ‘‘We need to re-engage with the region.

‘‘They are sovereign nations, of course, and we need to respect that, but we need to be offering more support.’’

New Foreign Minister Penny Wong has flown to Fiji to help solidify the Australian Government’s relationship with that nation. She was to meet with Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, along with Fiji’s foreign minister and senior leaders, and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna.

The visit comes amid heightened tensions in the Indo-Pacific region following China and Solomon Islands signing a new security pact.

China is seeking security arrangements with other Pacific nations. It also wants to jointly develop a plan for fisheries, and increase co-operation on running the region’s internet networks. China has also mentioned the possibility of setting up a free trade area with Pacific nations.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is visiting seven of the countries he hopes will endorse the ‘‘Common Development Vision’’ – Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea – and holding virtual meetings with potential signatories the Cook Islands, Niue and the Federated States of Micronesia.

The US State Department has expressed concern about China’s intentions, saying Beijing might use the proposed accords to take advantage of the islands and destabilise the region.

Spokesman Ned Price said China ‘‘has a pattern of offering shadowy, vague deals with little transparency or regional consultation in areas related to fishing, related to resource management, development, development assistance, and more recently even security practices’’.

He said agreements that included sending Chinese security officials to the nations ‘‘could only seek to fuel regional international tensions and increase concerns over Beijing’s expansion of its internal security apparatus to the Pacific’’.