Australia PM says Pacific leaders ‘positive’ on his new push

SYDNEY: Australia’s new government has received a positive response to its diplomatic engagement from Pacific Island leaders, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said as he focuses on a region where China is expanding its influence.

China intends to build on a security pact recently signed with the Solomon Islands that has alarmed the United States and its allies, who fear a larger Chinese military presence in a region they have dominated for decades.

“The response has been very positive,” Albanese said in a television interview aired on Sunday (May 29), when asked about the Pacific leadership’s reaction to his administration’s actions.

Albanese said plans for the Pacific include a defense school, support for maritime safety, an increase in aid and a renewed commitment to climate change.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Sunday that more than 100 Australian Defense Forces will travel to Papua New Guinea (PNG) for a joint military exercise to help combat cyber threats and organize general elections.

A spokesman for Australia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that at the request of the Papua New Guinea government, defense personnel would provide support to its armed forces, the Electoral Commission and the police in the July elections, including air transport and logistics.