Tonga's king appoints new prime minister

Eke, 64, also becomes chairman of the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum, where Tonga has supported a region-wide policing initiative to reduce the group's reliance on outside security partners.

Siaosi Sovaleni resigned as prime minister in December, saying it was for the good of the nation. (Ben McKay/AAP PHOTOS)

The nation of 107,000 people has external debt equivalent to 32 per cent of its GDP, of which half is owed to China's Exim Bank, according to government budget statements.

Eke is a former public servant and finance minister who attended university in Australia and Fiji. He was elected as the member of parliament for Tongatapu No.5 constituency in 2010.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement on Facebook he looked forward to "continued engagement" to support Tonga's priorities.