Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her New Zealand counterpart have urged China to focus on Pacific nations’ development priorities amid jockeying for influence.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her New Zealand counterpart have urged China to focus on Pacific nations’ development priorities amid Beijing’s campaign to curry favour with governments andReiterating Australia’s opposition to developing nations being saddled with unsustainable loans by countries such as China, Senator Wong said the practice posed a potential security risk, following her talks with New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta in Wellington on Thursday.
As well as security concerns over China and Russia, Senator Wong and Ms Mahuta said they had heard the message from Pacific nations that climate change was their No. 1 challenge, and expressed optimism that a rift among Pacific Island Forum members was close to being resolved.In a joint statement issued after their meeting, Senator Wong and Ms Mahuta did not name China.
“The sustainability and debt financing for developing countries, particularly those in our region, is of interest to both our nations,” she said.