Australia's Relations with Pacific Islands: Economic, Strategic, and Diplomatic

This write-up explores Australia's relations with Pacific Islands in terms of economic, strategic, and diplomatic aspects. It discusses Australia's aid assistance, defence cooperation, and diplomatic presence in the region. The Pacific Islands Forum, Pacific Community, and other regional organizations are also highlighted.

Introduction
In today’s world of globalized world order, no country can afford to keep themselves isolated
from other parts of the world. It is an era of inter-dependence and mutual cooperation, where
a country thrived upon strong bilateral and multilateral engagement with the world. In this
given context and background, this write-up is going to deal with Australia’s relations with
Pacific Islands, which is not a country in itself but a group of many small countries scattered
over pacific ocean which mostly lies eastern border of Australia. Australia’s relations with
these countries are very important not only in terms of economic view point but also in terms
of strategic and diplomatic.
The Pacific island states operate on a small scale, and are influenced by their colonial
master. This region is highly diverse, local identities are strong and national cohesion is
weak. Economically the pacific region’s people are dependent on others or some kind of
overseas help. And here, comes the role of their regional economic superpower, Australia.
Australia’s relations with these pacific islands has gain even more significance after the
Chinese growing influence in this region and their engagement with these Pacific island
countries in terms of economic support and other help in building infrastructural facilities and
putting billions of dollar to help create these social infrastructure. Their sole objective of
doing this is seems to influence and make proximity over these strategically located
countries and expand their military and economic ambition. Australia is obviously the proper
response of this intervention who is active in this region since past many decades and they
are helping pacific islands in terms of monetary and technical assistance.
Australia and Pacific Island countries relations can broadly be categorised in three parts,
these are:
 Economic Relations,
 Strategic Relations and
 Diplomatic Relation
Once, then President of United States asserted and emphasized, during his visit to the
Pacific Island region, “Aussie and Americans like you.” This statement of President, Barack
Obama was delivered while addressing Pacific Island people, was indirect reference to
China’s influence over this region and clear message for local people and stern warning for
China that Australia and American are there to help them (Pacific Island) in their nation
building and strengthen economic, strategic and diplomatic ties. There is whole host of
initiative has been taken by Australian government to strengthen their ties with the pacific
island countries, dealing with all of them will not be possible here in short span of time, but in
brief, I tries to include major aspects of these issues.
Economic Relations between Australia and Pacific Islands:
Australia is a major aid partner in this Pacific region, both multilaterally and bilaterally. In
1994-1995 in major aid assistance to the region Australia donated approximately 460 million
dollar. Australia also has defence co-operation with the region. Except Papa New Guinea,
Australia does not have many economic and trade interest in the pacific region. Australia has
significant investment and trading relation with Papa New Guinea. (Parliament Research
Service, August, 1995)

Australian support to the Pacific Islands is comprised of core funding, assessed member
contributions and additional funding delivered by the organisations for specific programme.
”In 2017, Australia contributed approximately 36% of the budget for the Pacific Islands
Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and 30% of the budget for the Pacific Community (SPC).”
(Australian Government, DFAT)
Australia has provided $ 2 Billion infrastructural financing facility for the pacific region.
Australian have also provided worker mobility programme for pacific worker to work in
Australia.
Australia's Assistance to the Pacific Islands
Item Year No.
Scholarship to Pacific students In 2018 1474
Australian Volunteers in Pacific region Since 2011 1765
Australian students studying in the region (under Colombo Plan) Since 2014 2430
Australian visited and holidayed in Pacific countries In 2017
60000
0
Source: DFAT, Government of Australia, 2018
Strategic Relations between Australia and Pacific Islands:
These island states strategic location have once again brought them in focus due to growing
interest of China in this region, region has varied security and defence importance, which
was earlier diminished after the end of cold war between USA and USSR (Russia & others).
But, the importance of the pacific islands for South East Asian countries remains as ever
before. In spite of their diverse socio-economic and cultural identity, the pacific island states
have benefit in regional cooperation mostly through the South Pacific Forum, which
comprised of the Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand. This region has very rich
maritime resources which help them protect through the defence cooperation with Australia,
which also enhances security in the region.
Diplomatic Relations between Australia and Pacific Islands:
Australia is a founding as well as an “active participant in many important political and
technical organisations in the Pacific which have emerged in recent decades to deal with
issues specific to the pacific Islands. These organisations are mentioned below.” (Australian
Government , DFAT)
 The Pacific Islands Forum:
Established in 1971, it is the principal political grouping in the region.
 The Pacific Community:
Its span over many sectors: sustainable development, managing natural resources,
environmental protection, and human-social development.
 The Forum Fisheries Agency:
It as an advisory body for assisting members to maximise benefits through
conservation and sustainable use of fisheries resources.
 The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme:
It promotes sustainable development and protects Pacific region's environment.
 Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific:

Cooperate and collaborate between Pacific region organisations it get promoted
through the CROP established in 1988.
 The University of the South Pacific:
An international centre of excellence for teaching, research and consulting related
to all aspects of Pacific life.
 The Pacific Islands Development Program:
Assists Leaders in advancing their combined efforts to achieve and sustain
equitable socio-economic development for the Islander.
 “The South Pacific Tourism Organisation:
It is an Inter-governmental body for the tourism sector, with the mission to promote
tourism and develop tourism in the South Pacific.” (Australian Government, DFAT)
 The Pacific Power Association:
It trained in handling utilities services in technical aspect, exchange of information,
exchange of senior management and engineering expertise, etc.
 The Pacific Aviation Safety Office:
Its main function is to see the aviation safety and security in the Pacific Region as
per International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidelines.
Through all these regional organisations in the Pacific Islands Australia has played a major
role and they have been providing all types of technical, educational and social aid to
these Island nations. Australian’s head of government frequently visit these islands to
assess the situation after discussing with their head of government and higher official and
provided assistance based on the outcome of the assessment report. Australia has always
maintained consistent diplomatic relations with these island countries.
Australia intend to increase their diplomatic presence in Pacific island over the next few
years, this would include Australia’s establishment of “five new diplomatic missions in
Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Niue, Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.”
(Australian Government-DFAT, Strengthening our Pacific Partnership)

Conclusion:
Australia has historical bilateral and multilateral relation with the Pacific Islands. But, in last
decade or so, Australia’s relations with the Pacific Island have grown even stronger due to
its growing strategic importance and Chinese intervention in the region. Chinese
expansionary policy may prove strategically costly for countries of the Pacific Islanders like
Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Australia too has always
remained in forefront in providing aid and other assistance to Island people, though, it don’t
have much trade relation with any of the region’s countries except Papua New Guinea, in
other aspects of relationship Australia is very active in the region.. It is expected that due to
its strategic location Australia will further boost its relations with these Pacific countries in
bilateral and multilateral forum. In last one decade Australia engagement with these
countries has grown many folds in every sphere of society.

Referencing
Australian Government-DFAT, Australia’s Pacific Engagement. Retrieved June 05, 2019, From
https://dfat.gov.au/geo/pacific/engagement/Pages/strengthening-our-pacific-partnerships.aspx
Australian Government-DFAT, Pacific Islands Regional Organisations. Retrieved June 05, 2019,
From https://dfat.gov.au/international-relations/regional-architecture/pacific-islands/Pages/pacific-
islands-regional-organisation.aspx
Australian Government-DFAT, Development Assistance in the Pacific, Retrieved June 05, 2019,
From https://dfat.gov.au/geo/pacific/development-assistance/Pages/development-assistance-in-the-
pacific.aspx
Australian Government - DFAT, Strengthening our Pacific Partnerships. Retrieved June 08, 2019,
From https://dfat.gov.au/geo/pacific/engagement/Pages/strengthening-our-pacific-partnerships.aspx
Parliament Research Service, (August, 1995). No Easy Answers: Australia and Pacific Islands
Region. Retrieved June 05, 2019, From https://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/library/pubs/rp/1995-
96/96rp05.pdf