Dr Anna Powles Photo: Supplied
The phrase 'Pacific family' seems to be gathering steam of late. Earlier this week, visiting Australian foreign minister Penny Wong said Pacific security should be provided by the Pacific family, in the wake of China looking to sign sweeping trade and security agreements with 10 countries across the region. Beijing already signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands back in March.
While China’s multilateral proposal is currently on pause, it’s one of the topics tabled for discussion at the Pacific Islands Forum taking place in mid-July.
Dr Anna Powles is a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at Massey University. Her research focuses on geopolitics, security and conflict in the Pacific Islands region.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi (right) and Samoan prime minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa attend an agreement signing ceremony between the two countries in Apia, May, 2022. Photo: AFP
