Foreign Minister and Opposition Unite for Tuvalu Visit Aimed at Quelling Chinese Influence

Tuvalu has maintained a delicate balancing act in its relations with Beijing and is wary of its enhancing its strategic defence aspirations.
Foreign Minister and Opposition Unite for Tuvalu Visit Aimed at Quelling Chinese Influence
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Birmingham (L) and Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Feb. 8, 2024. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas
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Concerns over Chinese influence in the Pacific have led the Australian foreign minister and her opposition counterpart to make the trip to Tuvalu for security talks, coupled with a discussion on the island’s severe vulnerability to the ongoing effects of climate change.

Ahead of the delegation arriving today, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said via a statement that Australia’s partnerships with Pacific neighbours are critical to “the security, safety, and prosperity” of Australia and the region as a whole.

Jim Birchall
Jim Birchall
Author
Jim Birchall has written and edited for several regional New Zealand publications. He was most recently the editor of the Hauraki Coromandel Post.