Australia strikes surprise defence alliance with Fiji in blow to China
July 6, 2026 — 10:32amAustralia and Fiji have struck a new defence alliance in a major victory for the Albanese government as it seeksto limit China’s influencein Pacific security affairs. The Ocean of Peace. . .
July 6, 2026 — 10:32amAustralia and Fiji have struck a new defence alliance in a major victory for the Albanese government as it seeksto limit China’s influencein Pacific security affairs. The Ocean of Peace defence pact goes further than most analysts expected and means Australia has added a fourth formal treaty ally on top of the United States, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka in Fiji yesterday. XPrime Minister Anthony Albanese signed the deal with Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka during a visit to the capital Suva on Monday morning. The Ocean of Peace alliance between Australia and Fiji, which contains mutual defence obligations, is expected to be open to the three other Pacific nations with militaries: Tonga, PNG and New Zealand. The wording of the agreement, which is similar to the Pukpuk alliance thatAustralia and PNG struck last year, states that “an armed attack on any of the parties within the Pacific would be dangerous to each other’s peace and security as well as the security of the Pacific, and declares that it would act to meet the common danger, in accordance with its domestic processes”. It also states: “In the event of a security-related development that threatens the sovereignty, peace or stability of a party, the parties shall consult at the request of any party and consider whether any measures should be taken in relation to the threat. ”The new defence alliance comes on top of the widely flagged Vuvale Union economic and policing agreement that Albanese and Rabuka also signed on Monday. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has said Australia and China are in a “permanent contest” in the Pacific, while other senior Australian officials have spoken of being in a daily “knife fight” with China. The alliance followsa less ambitious agreementAlbanese struck with Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat last week, and kicks off a busy week of diplomacy that includes a visit to Brisbane by key Pacific leaders and a visit to Melbourne by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Albanese will visit the Solomon Islands for a speedy visit on Wednesday to continue negotiations on a new, comprehensive treaty with counterpart Matthew Wale. Both leaders hope to finalise that agreement by the end of the year. One of Solomon Islands’ most senior ministers, Peter Kenilorea Junior, told this masthead last month thathe wants security and policing co-operation with China to be sidelinedin favour of economic development. Australia is also seeking to strike a significant new treaty with Tonga, on top of those struck in recent years with Tuvalu, Nauru, PNG, Vanuatu and now Fiji. From our partners