Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected suggestions of US involvement in a newly announced Pacific security accord after the emergence of a private conversation he had with a senior Biden administration official, Bloomberg reports.
The discussion, recorded during a Pacific forum in Tonga, captured Albanese speaking openly with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell about the Pacific Policing Initiative, unveiled on Wednesday.
The Pacific Policing Initiative involves Australia committing A$400 million ($271 million) to enhance domestic security in the island nations of the Pacific. In the recording, Albanese expresses positivity about the agreement, calling it a “cracker” of a day, while Campbell praises the new initiative as “fantastic.”
During their exchange, Campbell mentioned that he had previously spoken with Australia’s Ambassador to Washington, Kevin Rudd, regarding a US initiative related to the agreement.
“He asked us not to, so we did not. We’ve given you the whole lane, so take the lane,” Campbell said, to which Albanese humorously responded, “you can go us halvies on the cost if you like.”
Under the newly established policing plan, which aims to bolster security across the region, Australia will work alongside Pacific nations to build training colleges and resources, coordinated through a hub in Brisbane. This initiative is seen as a significant setback to China’s diplomatic efforts in the Pacific, where Beijing has actively pursued security assistance as part of its outreach strategy.
Despite his remarks to Campbell, Albanese has consistently stated that the initiative is “Pacific led.” However, his comments might intensify perceptions that Australia is acting as a proxy for US interests in the region. When confronted about the recording, Albanese condemned the journalist who captured it, labeling their actions as unethical, and denied that Campbell indicated the US had withdrawn its initiative at Australia’s request.
“It is Pacific led; this has been led by police ministers who have been meeting about this for a year,” he asserted, adding that no concerns over potential efforts to exclude China had been expressed during discussions at the Pacific Island Forum.
The US embassy in Canberra refrained from commenting on the private conversation. Meg Keen, a senior fellow at the Lowy Institute think tank, noted that the recording may increase pressure on the Australian government to ensure that the policing agreement is perceived as a collaborative effort with the Pacific island nations involved.
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