Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Media in Australia portray the South Pacific as a new area of strategic contestation between China and the United States. However, actors within Pacific Island nations tend to emphasise the importance of their nations’ sovereignty and claim they are managing the influence of their “aid partners” responsibly. Climate is the major issue in the Pacific Island nations. Geostrategic tensions are a second order problem when waves threaten to engulf your home. Domestic politics in these countries are also an intervening factor that is largely unaccounted for in outside narratives of foreign influence. What can Australia expect from the region, and how do actors in the Pacific Islands view Australian foreign policy?
Media in Australia portray the South Pacific as a new area of strategic contestation between China and the United States. However, actors within Pacific Island nations tend to emphasise the importance of their nations’ sovereignty and claim they are managing the influence of their “aid partners” responsibly. Climate is the major issue in the Pacific Island nations. Geostrategic tensions are a second order problem when waves threaten to engulf your home. Domestic politics in these countries are also an intervening factor that is largely unaccounted for in outside narratives of foreign influence. What can Australia expect from the region, and how do actors in the Pacific Islands view Australian foreign policy?
