Australia Vows No Strings Pacific Partnerships in Jab at China
- Top diplomats for China and Australia visiting the region
- PM earlier said Australia ‘dropped the ball’ in the Pacific
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Foreign minister Penny Wong has promised Australia’s aid and assistance to Pacific nations “won’t come with strings attached,” in what appears to be a veiled jab at the Chinese government as both countries step up their diplomacy in the region.
In a major speech delivered in Fiji on Thursday, Australia’s new top diplomat said her country would “remain a critical development partner” for the Pacific in the years ahead, while blaming the former government in Canberra for undermining ties by neglecting “its responsibility to act on climate change.”