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Australia’s permanent contest: China in the Pacific Islands
The Pacific in Contest: China, Australia and the Battle for Regional Influence
From policing deals in Solomon Islands to parliamentary complexes in Vanuatu, China's presence and ambitions in the Pacific Islands are growing — and Australia and its partners are struggling to keep pace.
In the words of Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Canberra and its allies are locked in a "state of permanent contest" with Beijing for influence across the region. For Pacific Islanders — long undervalued by larger powers — the consequences of this intensifying geopolitical competition are profound and unavoidable.
In this Lowy Institute panel discussion, leading analysts examined the rapidly evolving Pacific security environment and what it means for Australia, New Zealand, and the broader region. Director of Research Hervé Lemahieu moderated the conversation with Senior Fellow for East Asia Richard McGregor, FDC Pacific Research Fellow Oliver Nobetau, Associate Professor Dr Anna Powles from Massey University's Centre for Defence and Security Studies, and Pacific Islands Program Director Mihai Sora.
About the speakers
Hervé Lemahieu is Director of Research at the Lowy Institute and the original architect of the Asia Power Index.
Richard McGregor is Senior Fellow for East Asia at the Lowy Institute, former Beijing and Washington bureau chief for the Financial Times, and author of several books on East Asia and Chinese politics.
Oliver Nobetau is FDC Pacific Research Fellow at the Lowy Institute, bringing a Pacific Islander perspective to the Institute's research on the region.
Dr Anna Powles is Associate Professor at the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at Massey University, New Zealand, and one of the foremost analysts of Pacific security.
Mihai Sora is Director of the Pacific Islands Program at the Lowy Institute and a former Australian diplomat with extensive experience in the region.
Featuring
Hervé Lemahieu
Hervé Lemahieu was a senior researcher at the Lowy Institute and served as Director of Research from 2021 to 2025.
Richard McGregor
Richard McGregor is Senior Fellow for East Asia at the Lowy Institute, and is a former Beijing and Washington bureau chief for the Financial Times and the author of numerous books on East Asia.
Oliver Nobetau
Oliver (Oli) Nobetau is Acting Pacific Islands Program Director and the Project Director of the Australia–Papua New Guinea Network at the Lowy Institute.
Mihai Sora
Mihai Sora is Director of Research at the Lowy Institute, where he leads the Institute’s research agenda across programs spanning geopolitics and security, the Indo-Pacific, China, the United States, global economics, aid and development, and the international order.
