It's been a big month in the Pacific, with the race between order and disorder, between cooperation and competition, brutally laid out.

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

Login or signup to continue reading

Fiji and Australia came together to set out their plan for promoting peace, security and greater economic cooperation and integration.

China decided to ignore all Pacific entreaties about creating an Ocean of Peace and test a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. And we can be sure it won't be the last such Chinese provocation.

The Chinese test is a symptom of the larger polycrisis before the Pacific, where several great challenges run together. The existential threat of climate change.

The sharpening geopolitics and the fading post-World War II rules-based order: just when it's needed most to deal with climate change. The impacts of transnational crime, particularly the drug trade, on communities, health systems and law enforcement.

The need to promote greater human security, particularly through better education and health opportunities.

This polycrisis will run for several decades and will test the Pacific as never before.

Fiji and Australia's efforts are an important step in building the regional system that can meet these challenges.

The two countries should be the closest of partners. But they have endured low points in recent decades, struggling to find an equilibrium as Fiji wrestled with its post-independence democracy. This week's agreements set a new baseline.

The Vuvale Union speaks to all aspects of the Fiji-Australia relationship: security, focusing on climate change; economic integration; cultural and sporting ties. It improves visa arrangements for Fijian citizens, including Fiji workers participating in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme - particularly in aged care. These changes will benefit both countries.

The Union only applies to Fiji and Australia, but provides a model of deeper integration that other countries could follow.

The Ocean of Peace Alliance - Australia's fourth........

© Canberra Times