The Pacific Islands will gain more investment from Australia and the United States in a series of decisions that are aimed at defending internet links and shielding computer systems from cyberattacks, but without naming China as a source of any threat.
The decisions are part of the agenda for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in his meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington DC, with the details emerging in a formal statement from the White House.
One element is a $US65 million investment by the two countries in what they call “resilient connectivity” for the Pacific Islands to make submarine telecommunications cables more reliable. This involves work with Google, subsea cable company APTelecom and Hawaiki Nui, which runs a submarine cable that connects New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore and the United States.
China has been increasingly active in the Pacific in a bid to convince countries to use its communications equipment and networks rather than those backed by the US, a sensitive topic after Australia blocked Huawei from supplying 5G equipment.
With the Pacific Islands Forum to be held in the Cook Islands within weeks, and with Albanese due to attend, the prime minister and the president appear to have canvassed ways to counter Chinese influence.
The new investment is meant to provide connections for the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. As well, Australia will provide $50 million through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific to support future connectivity for Pacific Island countries.
The US is also spending $15 million – an increase on earlier plans – to support Google’s South Pacific Connect undersea cable.
There is also a “national cyber resilience” plan for the Pacific Islands, although this is framed as something Australia and the US intend to do and does not have a specific financial investment.
The plans are not all about communications cables. Australia and the US are also financing the rehabilitation of Kanton Wharf and Charlie Wharf in Tarawa in the island nation of Kiribati.