The high moral price our regional neighbours are paying for Belt and Road

To me the answer is simple, and it is no coincidence that the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Kiribati, have lined up beside the PNG Government backing China when it comes to human rights and basic freedom issues.

Each of these countries has signed up to the Belt and Road initiative. Each has received tied loans from China in areas such as infrastructure, communications, education, agriculture, and health.

The Solomon Islands is the latest to sign up to Belt and Road but already the impact is being felt in the small but strategically important nation to our north.

Tonga is heavily in debt to China under the initiative, and Papua New Guinea so far this year has committed, through the national government and state owned corporations to at last K5 billion in tied loans – at a time when the fiscal position is dire.

There is not the slightest doubt that the pro-China positions adopted by our regional neighbours at United Nations and other multi-lateral institutions can be directly linked to the obligations they have, or are told they have, under the Belt and Road initiative in particular.

This is not the first time Papua New Guinea has voted for China, and against Australia. Papua New Guinea pursues an independent foreign policy but it has increasingly been drawn into the China influence as has Tonga, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands.

This reality raises important strategic national interest questions for Australia, and our allies.

It is overwhelmingly clear that programs such as Step Up are simply not having the desired impact!

China's diplomatic influence in our immediate region is not being contained.

The generous annual development assistance support we provide the nations of the region is not making a difference.

Belt and Road and a myriad of other tied loan arrangements continues to be very effective.

If the UN Human Rights vote tells us one thing it is surely this – we are going to have to do a lot more to regain the standing we once had in our region than we are currently doing!

Australia has been more generous than any other country in supporting our regional neighbours when it comes to testing, vaccines and the provision of other support, including cash. The beneficial impact of that clearly had no impact at the UN Human Rights Commission recently!

These are challenging times for our region and not just because of the pandemic. Our neighbours are almost without exception enduring enormous economic, fiscal and social challenges.

This reality ought to provide a great opportunity for Australia to strengthen our standing in our region. Sadly, the evidence available so far indicates it is an opportunity we are simply not adequately grasping!