How Beijing’s nuclear gambit gave Australia a surprise advantage
China's recent missile test in the Pacific, monitored by surveillance ships near Fiji, may have inadvertently strengthened Australia's diplomatic position. The presence of Chinese vessels during the signing of an Australia-Fiji defense pact has highlighted regional security concerns.
Why it matters
This event illustrates the shifting strategic landscape in the Pacific as Australia and China compete for influence among island nations.
China’s missile test in the Pacific after Anthony Albanese signed a new defence pact with Fiji may have backfired, boosting Australia’s ‘diplomatic ammo’ in the region.
A strategic game is afoot in the Pacific. Illustration by Marija Ercegovac Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
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Share A A A The Chinese tracking ship Yuan Wang 5 aroused no particular attention when it sailed into the Fijian capital of Suva last Friday. Why would it? Vessels from China’s People’s Liberation Army navy visited Fiji 20 times between the late 1990s and early 2020s, more than anywhere else in Oceania, according to a 2023 report in The Diplomat, a foreign affairs magazine. Chinese tracking ships can make up to four visits to Fiji in a single year.
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