Pacific Islands defence ministers meet in Tonga to spice up ‘interoperability’ By Reuters

By Kirsty Needham

SYDNEY (Reuters) – South Pacific defence ministers will meet in Tonga on Tuesday, with Australia searching for a more in-depth army relationship with the three island nations which have defence forces to counter China’s safety push within the area.

Australia’s defence minister Richard Marles was as a result of arrive in Tonga on Monday forward of the South Pacific Defence Ministers Assembly this week, held yearly to debate regional safety challenges.

Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Tonga – the one Pacific Island nations with militaries – are members, as are New Zealand, France, Australia and Chile.

Final week Marles mentioned Australia was negotiating a defence treaty with Papua New Guinea that may see the 2 nation’s navies and armies work alongside one another extra usually, and Canberra additionally wished to “evolve {our relationships}” with different Pacific islands.

In an announcement on Monday, Marles mentioned the area was dealing with extra threats to shared safety.

“The Pacific household is stronger after we reply collectively, by enhancing coordination, sharing info and enhancing interoperability between our nations and our defence forces,” he mentioned.

The USA and allies together with Australia have been alarmed at China’s rising affect within the strategically vital area after Beijing struck a safety pact with the Solomon Islands in April and sought a wider commerce and safety pact with 10 nations in Could.

Though the Solomon Islands doesn’t have a army, a leaked draft of the settlement confirmed it might permit Chinese language naval vessels to replenish there.

China has been a major donor of kit to Fiji and Papua New Guinea’s militaries, whereas Tonga, with heavy money owed to Chinese language banks, has obtained some Chinese language army funding.

Marles may also journey to Fiji for defence talks and go to the Blackrock (NYSE:) army camp, funded by Australia as a regional catastrophe reduction centre, his assertion mentioned.

In January, Tonga was hit by a volcanic eruption and tsunami that noticed Australia and New Zealand coordinate a humanitarian response from defence forces that included these of Japan, France and Britain. China additionally deployed navy vessels to supply humanitarian help.

Papua New Guinea mentioned this month it might signal an settlement with the US to place its army officers on U.S. coast guard and navy ships to patrol for unlawful fishing, native media reported.