China has watered down its “co-operation” ambitions with a raft of island nations, removing policing and law enforcement co-operation, but its end goals will not have changed.
Just as China has sought to expand its influence in the South China Sea, the regime is on a path to extend its reach closer to Australia.
The Solomon Islands agreement put regional partnerships high on the agenda during the Federal Election campaign, and immediately after her swearing in, Foreign Minister Penny Wong went to the Quad meeting in Japan, then embarked on a whirlwind tour of Pacific nations.
Beijing had already frightened the horses, moving too quickly to lock in broad agreements that would have intertwined critical security functions, so the task of heading it off at the pass was made easier.
While it is hoped that the Australia-China relationship, which fractured badly under the Morrison Government, will be greatly improved by the Albanese Government, it is built on mutual respect and benefit.
China does not share our values, or our politics, and probably never will.
There is a difficult, and fine, balance to be found in the Pacific.
Australia's spending on aid over time per capita has averaged $177 in 2022-23 dollars. It peaked in 2011-12 at $266 and in the current budget has fallen to $168. Australian Aid Tracker forecasts it will decrease to just $144 by 2025-26.
A parliamentary inquiry report from the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade delivered just prior to the election reinforced the need for heightened engagement with the Pacific.
Chair Dave Sharma wrote that soft power was growing in importance as a tool of diplomacy and statecraft in the Pacific.
“Whilst Australia’s soft power assets in the region remain substantial, the Report recommends that Australia look to expand our media and broadcasting footprint in the region, such that we retain our role as a trusted and accessible source of information for these countries,” he wrote in the foreword.
“Recognising the growing importance of labour mobility schemes in our Pacific relationships, the Report recommends that such schemes be built upon to support career development, build relationships, and provide pathways to permanent residency. The Committee was also attracted to the proposal of a dedicated Pacific component within Australia’s permanent migration intake.”
The committee report recognised that the Pacific Step-up, a whole-of-government effort initiated by the Morrison Government to deepen and better co-ordinate Australia’s engagement with the nations of the Pacific, recognised the urgency created by intensifying geopolitical competition and growing global challenges including climate change.
Access to Medicare, superannuation and the ability for workers to bring families were issues raised during hearings, but overall, the schemes were viewed as more meaningful than merely filling workplace gaps and a key opportunity for skills transfer, cultural exchange benefits and forging friendships, over and above any direct financial benefits.
The Albanese Government committed to make these schemes more attractive, including putting the Ag worker visa within the Pacific Labour Mobility Scheme.
The changes, and investment in expansion of these schemes, must now be a priority.
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