Soft Power: Australia Uses Hard Game to Tackle China in Pacific

Soft Power: Australia Uses Hard Game to Tackle China in Pacific
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison meets with young rugby league players in Suva, Fiji, January 18, 2019. Picture taken Jan. 18, 2019. AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts/Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

SYDNEY—Australia will direct more foreign aid to develop the sport of rugby league in the Pacific, officials say, bolstering a soft power offensive against China’s growing influence in the region.

The plan, backed by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, aims to tap into a shared passion for the bruising game by funding more coaching clinics and exhibition matches on far-flung Pacific islands being wooed by China.