Pacific debate an opportunity for collaboration with China

Labor in Government laid the foundation for this to occur when we signed the historic Australia-China Development Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding in April 2013. Together Australia and China are working on aid projects, the first being combatting drug resistant malaria in Papua New Guinea.

If Australia and China could share information about our aid programs in the Pacific and work cooperatively on development priorities the effectiveness of aid expenditure in the region will be increased, and the volatility of aid expenditure will be reduced.

This is key to long term stability of Pacific Government budgets and ultimate improvements in living standards.

Greater collaboration will also bring improved transparency of aid expenditure which is an important element in the fight against corruption in Pacific nations.

It should always be the objective of aid programs that they improve general living standards, not enrich a few individuals.

Australia belatedly becoming a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank also provides an opportunity for our nations to collaborate on improving Pacific infrastructure particularly as these vulnerable nations come to grips with the destructive force of climate change. There are many roads and bridges that are currently being or will need to be moved or rebuilt as sea level rise and extreme weather events become more destructive in the Pacific.

Both our nations' relationship with the Pacific provides the opportunity for our governments, private sectors and NGO's to work together. This should not only improve development outcomes in the Pacific. It will strengthen the relationship between Australia and China.

A prime example of what President Xi calls win-win cooperation.