Australia and Fiji Sign Defence Alliance Pact to Counter China's Influence

Australia on Monday signed a new economic and defence agreement with Fiji, strengthening bilateral ties as Canberra seeks to curb China’s influence in the Pacific region. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed the pact alongside Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka during a visit to the Fijian capital, Suva. “This Ocean of Peace Alliance pact includes a mutual defence obligation, and there is no more important obligation than to assist each other when one party is in need,” Albanese said at a joint press conference with Rabuka. Albanese also affirmed that Australia would fully assist in the event of an external attack on Fiji. “An attack on Fiji by a foreign power would trigger Australia’s full support for Fiji’s sovereignty,” he said. Under the Ocean of Peace Alliance pact, Fiji and Australia agreed to consult each other on any security developments that could potentially threaten the sovereignty of either country. The agreement states its purpose is to recognise and affirm the commitment of both parties to protect each other’s sovereignty, secure mutual defence and security interests, and contribute to the stability and security of the Pacific region. Australia currently has defence agreements with the United States, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. Fiji, which had previously grown closer to China under former Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, becomes the latest nation to join this network of partnerships. It is also the first defence alliance in Fiji’s history. In 2022, China signed a secretive security agreement with the Solomon Islands, sparking concerns that Beijing might one day establish a permanent military base in the Pacific. There were also worries that Fiji could become a target of Chinese influence. However, Beijing’s influence in the island nation began to wane after Rabuka came to power in 2022. In 2025, Rabuka dismissed speculation that Fiji could one day host a permanent Chinese military base. “If they want to come, who will welcome them? Not Fiji. And I think China understands that very well,” he said at the time. On Monday, Chinese state media Xinhua reported that Beijing had conducted a test firing of a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a dummy warhead from a submarine in the South Pacific region. China called the test firing a “routine test”. Analysts noted that while the test had been planned well in advance, the notification arriving a day after Australia and Fiji signed the Ocean of Peace pact was noteworthy. China last conducted an ICBM test in 2024.