Page 23 - Islands Business February 2023

Opinion Opinion

for economic benefit in the Pacific should not be considered maritime domain awareness of our navy, air force, Border
only as short-term returns from trade or investment, but as Force and other intelligence assets, to the vital climate data
long-term advantage in a region with concentrations of the of the Bureau of Meteorology. This can augment a political
world’s untapped raw materials – especially fish, minerals and and cultural understanding of the region – often situated out-
timber. side government – which is being renewed after long neglect.
It’s on the seabed that Beijing has the most massive ambi- The role of Australia as co-ordinator would not be about
tions, collecting offshore exploration licences across the power or entitlement, but a function of how much others
region. The prospective prize: vast “polymetallic nodules”, trust our expertise, experience and networks. Any advice we
including critical minerals for battery production. give to external contributors should be based on clear signals
Meanwhile, China has a separate reason for seeking political from local communities.
control and strategic presence. The Pacific has long been ter- We should accept that sometimes others may have ca-
rain for rivalry over diplomatic recognition between China and pabilities and ideas more suited for Pacific needs than our
Taiwan, with largesse often an inducement. More generally, own – perhaps Japanese technical expertise, French marine
the support of Pacific governments has been a goal for China’s research, German democratic transparency, Indian health
multilateral statecraft. And political influence paves the way care or British climate finance. Even in security, Australia will
for favourable economic and security ties. want to be forewarned of what others are doing and decon-
For China, a security presence could involve police on the flict wherever it can, but it should not always insist on being
ground and preferential relations in training security forces, the mediator or leader of its friends’ contributions.
warship visits and even access for its military forces. Many Pacific institutions and communities have modest band-
observers were sceptical about such aspirations until the 2022 width to absorb the new-found torrent of global interest, and
Solomons Islands security agreement incontrovertibly put Canberra should be wary of flooding the zone. Labor foreign

China has a rightful place in the Pacific, just not the
right to dominate. If many partners sustain their
commitment, then all Pacific nations will benefit and
strategic rivalry need not permanently shadow the
future of the blue continent.

them in print. policy lore recounts Australia’s key role in enlightened col-
Even without strategic intent, China’s growing footprint lective achievements of more than a generation ago, like the
in the Pacific brings danger – including for China. Disrup- Cambodia Peace Process, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation,
tion could come in many ways. Accusations of “debt-trap” and global arms control and disarmament agreements.
diplomacy may have been premature, but the existing Indian Now Australia needs to rediscover that muscle memory for
Ocean case studies of Djibouti, Sri Lanka and Maldives are multilateral convening and co-ordination and apply it close to
sobering. Here, unpayable debt to China foreshadowed vari- home, submerging hard national interest in a sense of regional
ously military basing, loss of strategic assets, compromised or global citizenship where true partners hold each other
sovereignty, political unrest and pushback. to account. This is not about backing down on security, but
rather providing it in the broadest sense. The test ahead is
A Pacific kind of leadership to prove it is up to this authentically Pacific kind of leader-
In all this, Australia could be a guide and an informal co- ship.
ordinator for other international contributors, encouraging
them to invest efficiently, for the long haul and in line with editor@islandsbusiness.com
what Pacific communities want. This is leadership, but of a
quiet kind, with a premium on self-awareness, inclusion and Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at the
genuine diplomacy. Australian National University.
As the only nation with a diplomatic presence in every
Pacific Islands Forum member country or territory, Australia is This is an edited version of the original article, which can be
uniquely suited for this vital connecting role. seen at islandsbusiness.com
Its operating picture of the region is unparalleled: from the

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