{"id":36017,"date":"2017-12-04T06:00:04","date_gmt":"2017-12-03T19:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=36017"},"modified":"2018-07-18T15:31:48","modified_gmt":"2018-07-18T05:31:48","slug":"foreign-policy-white-paper-2017-integrating-the-south-pacific","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/foreign-policy-white-paper-2017-integrating-the-south-pacific\/","title":{"rendered":"Foreign policy white paper 2017: integrating the South Pacific"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

Reaching beyond the usual language of partnership with the South Pacific, Australia is offering economic and security integration.<\/p>\n

The integration policy is a new ideal: not just neighbours, but joined. It\u2019s a complex task for Australia and New Zealand, an important offer that the South Pacific will embrace slowly. Integration must evolve over decades.<\/p>\n

The new\u00a0foreign policy white paper<\/a> refers to this integrate\/integration vision six times in what is an initial but ambitious sketch. Here\u2019s how it\u2019s unveiled:<\/p>\n

The Government is delivering a step-change in our engagement with Pacific island countries. This new approach recognises that more ambitious engagement by Australia, including helping to integrate Pacific countries into the Australian and New\u00a0Zealand economies and our security institutions, is essential to the long-term stability and economic prospects of the Pacific. Our partnership with New\u00a0Zealand will be central to advancing this agenda.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The South Pacific\u2019s place in the policy statement is significant. Wordage matters, although we\u2019ve always talked a big game in the South Pacific (and haven\u2019t always lived up to the talk). The import of Canberra\u2019s words is the groping towards a 21st-century toolkit to work on neighbourhood issues of \u2018fundamental importance to Australia\u2019\u2014the \u2018stability and economic progress of Papua New Guinea, other Pacific island countries, and Timor-Leste\u2019.<\/p>\n

The white paper gives the Pacific prominence by making the islands one of the five objectives of \u2018fundamental importance\u2019 (that phrase again) to Australia\u2019s security and prosperity, and by devoting one of the document\u2019s eight chapters to \u2018a shared agenda for security and prosperity\u2019 with PNG, the islands and Timor-Leste.<\/p>\n

Stating that Australia recognises the need for new approaches, the Pacific policy proclaims three priorities:<\/p>\n