Scott Morrison's trip to Honiara is another example of Australia's Pacific "step up". But China is doing its own step up in the region and will regard Australia as trying to limit its influence.
After the relentlessly domestic focus of the election campaign, Scott Morrison’s political lens is immediately broadening out to include Australia’s most pressing regional concerns.
Making a trip to the Solomon Islands his first stop as elected Prime Minister is designed to attract attention to Australia’s belated attempt to make the Pacific “front and centre of our strategic outlook”. According to Morrison, the Solomon Islands is a “key member of our Pacific family” – just one that has not had an Australian prime ministerial visit for over a decade.
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Jennifer Hewett is the national affairs columnist. She writes a daily column on politics, business and the economy. Connect with Jennifer on Twitter. Email Jennifer at jennifer.hewett@afr.com
