China's arrogance opens a window of opportunity

The decision by Pacific Island leaders to reject China's push for wide-ranging agreements is a significant setback for them - but there is a real danger it will only be a short term one.

China won't give up. It will develop a new, perhaps less aggressive, but comprehensive strategy to secure the influence and control it wants.

China mistakenly believed that having delivered a secret agreement with the Solomon Islands with ease it could do so country by country across the Pacific.

The decision by just about every other Pacific Islands leader not to sign up to the China agreement reflects the Pacific I have come to know and like over 40 plus years.

Important decisions are not rushed. Bullying tactics don't work. And vague assurances don't necessarily make an impression.

It is also true that the very welcome action by Australia's new Foreign Minister, Senator Penny Wong, to engage directly and personally with Fiji and the Pacific Islands Forum was seen across the Pacific as an indication that at last an Australian Government might actually be listening to the agenda Fiji, the Forum, and other governments have.

The Minister is now visiting Tonga and Samoa - yet another very welcome change from the past!

I read somewhere that during the last three years Senator Marise Payne only visited three Pacific Island nations, leaving engagement up to the junior Minister for Development Assistance and the Pacific. In less than two weeks in office Senator Wong has equalled that!

The Albanese Government also has a junior minister for the Pacific, but the direct involvement of the Foreign Minister herself is most welcome.

So far so good!

What I want to do in this column is suggest one specific policy area the new government could focus on and that would produce definite and early change when it comes to our effectiveness in the region, and how Australia, its government and people are regarded.

Over the last couple of decades successive Australian Governments have given relatively small assistance to specific countries when it comes to the development of sport.

I would urge the new Government to "think big, and act bigger" when it comes to using sport to engage most effectively with our region, and particularly with the regional countries we are most focussed on - such as Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, as well as Vanuatu and at some stage one hopes the Solomon Islands.

In PNG, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji sport is a significant part of the life of the nation, just as it is in Australia. Sport is also important, but not as important, in other island nations.

The Australian Government should call a summit of the leaders of all our major sports - rugby league, Australian rules, soccer, rugby union, cricket, netball, basketball etc, as well as the Olympic sports such as athletics and swimming - and develop a large scale, costly, and pro-active strategy.

Sports that are willing to participate should be invited to engage immediately with counterpart sporting bodies across our region to develop programs for men, women, and for juniors. Programs for women and juniors should be given high priority.

Sporting bodies that do so should be guaranteed substantial federal government financial assistance to provide coaches, managers, fitness coaches, for equipment and for travel.

The government should offer to fund scholarships for teams and for individuals and fund coaching and skilling schools and camps in Australia as well as our island neighbours.

One example how this could be done came to mind recently when I saw an announcement by the Queensland Rugby League that it was planning to construct a "Centre of Excellence" at a cost of more than $30 million.

The QRL has been a strong supporter of the development of rugby league in Papua New Guinea. A PNG team, the Hunters, competes in the Queensland Cup competition. Even the Covid pandemic has not prevented the team playing. It is based on the Gold Coast but hopes to play some games in PNG this season.

Perhaps the Australian Government could offer financial support for the Centre of Excellence project if the QRL agreed to taker in a number of players from the Pacific to attend it?

But it is not only rugby league where Australian support has been beneficial.

Both men's and women's teams from Fiji and other Pacific countries participate in various rugby union competitions in Australia. The Fiji women's team recently won the ARU women's championship.

There are existing links in other sports - but they need to be built on with greater "in country" engagement, and especially when it comes to women's sport and children's sport.

What we in Australia don't fully appreciate is that especially in PNG, but also to an extent in other island nations, our sport is followed keenly - ranging from the Ashes tests to State of Origin and the Melbourne Cup!

It is fertile ground to use as a basis to expand people-to-people links and do so in a way that China cannot match!

China builds stadiums, such as it is doing for the Pacific Games in Honiara next year, but it has limited capacity to support training, coaching and women's and junior sport in particular.

I detect among the leaders of our major sporting organisations - and I can speak of rugby league in particular – an enthusiasm to work with the Australian Government to re-build and broaden our regional links.

Our new Prime Minister is a rugby league tragic - perhaps even more so than his predecessor was.

Rugby league can lead this engagement especially in PNG. But the fact that around 40 per cent of NRL first grade players have Pacific Islands, MÄori or Indigenous heritage makes it eminently suitable to lead this engagement.

But the other major and not so major sports can be involved fully as well.

China's arrogance and heavy handedness has suffered a setback, but it won't give up. It will come back in a different format even more determined than ever!

There is a window of opportunity for Australia - supported hopefully by New Zealand.

The new government is off to a promising start. Sport, as much as any other activity or endeavour, can help it build on the promising start and do so without undue delay.

Our immediate region is vital to the Australian national interest. Adding new vigour and variety to people-to-people links with our region is overwhelmingly in our national interest.

The funding and focus that would enable sport to play such a healthy and pro-active role can be secured - led by the national government, supported by the States, especially Queensland and New South Wales, and supported also by our major sporting bodies and business.

The unexpected opportunity China has unwittingly opened up needs to be grabbed with enthusiasm by a government that is showing a welcome commitment to our region - and building and broadening its vital relationship with Australia.