{"id":5122,"date":"2026-07-06T07:34:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T07:34:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=5122"},"modified":"2026-07-06T07:34:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T07:34:22","slug":"australia-and-fiji-seal-a-new-mutual-defense-pact-in-a-push-to-counter-china-in-the-pacific","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=5122","title":{"rendered":"Australia and Fiji seal a new mutual defense pact in a push to counter China in the Pacific"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) \u2014 Australia and Fiji on Monday signed a new bilateral defense alliance in a second major diplomatic win within a year for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese against Chinese influence in the South Pacific.<\/p>\n

Read more China test-launches a ballistic missile in a South Pacific nuclear-free zone<\/a><\/p>\n

Chinese official media later reported a submarine had test-launched a long-range ballistic missile in the South Pacific, a move criticized by Australia.<\/p>\n

Albanese and his Fijian counterpart Sitiveni Rabuka signed the Ocean of Peace Alliance in Fiji\u2019s capital Suva. They also signed an economic treaty, the Vuvale Union, under which Australia will invest more than 1 billion Australian dollars ($693 million) in its island neighbor over a decade.<\/p>\n

The alliance is Fiji\u2019s first mutual defense treaty. It is Australia\u2019s fourth, following a treaty with the United States and New Zealand signed in 1951 and the bilateral treaty signed with Papua New Guinea last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Ocean of Peace Alliance introduces a mutual defense obligation and there\u2019s no higher obligation than to come to each other\u2019s aid at a time of need,\u201d Albanese told reporters.<\/p>\n

Rabuka did not expect a negative reaction from Beijing to the new treaties.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not expect China to have any severe pushback on either government. And I believe that they will welcome the understanding that is between Australia and Fiji,\u201d Rabuka told reporters.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt does not threaten Fiji\u2019s relationship with China nor Australia\u2019s relationship with China,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The Chinese missile launched Monday was tested as part of routine training and carried a dummy warhead, according to the Xinhua News Agency. China last conducted a missile test in the Pacific two years ago, then firing an intercontinental ballistic missile with a dummy warhead. <\/p>\n

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who was in Fiji for the signing, did not comment on whether China had attempted to send a message by launching the missile on the same day as the Australia-Fiji security treaty was signed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll leave China to speak to its intent,\u201d Wong told reporters.<\/p>\n

Wong said Beijing had informed her government in advance of the launch. She spoke before the launch was confirmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAustralia has been clear with China that we regard this as destabilizing to the region,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Read more Iran begins a procession through Tehran for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei\u2019s funeral<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cAustralia has been clear that this \u2026 proposed test is in the context of a rapid military buildup by China which is lacking in the transparency and reassurance as to intent that the region expects,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Australia has been attempting to shore up its role as the security partner of choice in the region since 2022 when China struck a secretive security treaty with the Solomon Islands. That deal raised fears of a Chinese naval base being built in the South Pacific.<\/p>\n

Albanese will fly to the Solomons on Tuesday to meet with his counterpart Matthew Wale after the two nations agreed to further discussions on a security pact.<\/p>\n

Wale said while visiting Australia last month that his new government would review the deal with Beijing.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, Albanese will host Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape and Tongan Prime Minister Fatafehi Fakaf\u0101nua in the Australian city of Brisbane.<\/p>\n

The Australian defense treaty with Papua New Guinea, the country\u2019s nearest neighbor, takes effect Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Australia and Vanuatu last week signed a long-awaited bilateral security and economic treaty that prevents China creating a military base on that island nation.<\/p>\n

Albanese signed the so-called Nakamal Agreement with his Vanuatu counterpart, Jotham Napat, in the Australian capital nine months after the Vanuatuan government rejected an earlier draft. Vanuatu had feared the deal would limit its ability to attract infrastructure investment.<\/p>\n

China expressed concern last week that the Nakamal Agreement may be targeted at Beijing.<\/p>\n

Read more Erling Haaland scores twice to beat Brazil, send Norway into World Cup quarterfinals for 1st time<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) \u2014 Australia and Fiji on Monday signed a new bilateral defense alliance…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5121,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nAustralia and Fiji seal a new mutual defense pact in a push to counter China in the Pacific - Raleigh Moving News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=5122\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Australia and Fiji seal a new mutual defense pact in a push to counter China in the Pacific - 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