Its population is just 11,000 but for Australia, this island nation is now a key Pacific partner

Locating Tuvalu on a world map befuddles even the most seasoned geography quizzers. Its nine islands, home to around 11,000 people, occupy an imperceptible portion of the vast South Pacific. It is isolated and inaccessible, serviced by only a handful of planes each week.

This Pacific paradise nation should be the last place sullied by the geopolitical manoeuvrings of larger states. So it was with great surprise to many, no doubt, that Anthony Albanese announced a treaty with Tuvalu at the Pacific Islands Forum last week.

Anthony Albanese and Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano on One Foot Island last week.Credit: AAP

The so-called Falepili Union agreement includes commitments to help Tuvalu defend itself from rising sea levels and accept a steady stream of Tuvaluans to live, study, and work in Australia. Crucially, it also includes a security guarantee. Australia will provide security assistance to Tuvalu in return for a right to veto any future security arrangements the island state may make with other states.

This seemingly insignificant agreement is a consequential development that signals Australia’s serious commitment to its neighbours. It is an easy diplomatic boon that reaffirms Australia’s agency within the region, while fostering loyalty and expressing friendship.

But if Canberra wants to cement its influence across the region, it is only the beginning. Australia must continue to pursue partnership, and not paternalism, with its closest neighbours.

Much has been written about what Australia endeavours to gain from the agreement. It forestalls Chinese encroachments into the region and rebuilds trust in a neglected neighbourhood. But what of the Tuvaluan perspective?

Tuvalu is a deeply Christian country that prides itself on its loyalty. The Falepili Union pact refers to the Tuvaluan word for the traditional values of neighbourliness and mutual respect. Taugasoa, another cherished value, means friendship.

These values appear to permeate Tuvalu’s foreign policy. Simon Kofe, the nation’s foreign minister, noted how “loyalty, trust, and building authentic relationships, [are] at the forefront of everything we do.”

The people I met when I visited Tuvalu were gregarious and hospitable, and perhaps a bit perplexed why my family had come all that way for a holiday.

Each evening, many of the locals would congregate on the runway to socialise – when it was not flooded. After some strenuous touch rugby, they would invite us for a drink, a meal, or even to a wedding. These experiences encapsulated Tuvalu’s values.

The clearest manifestation of taugasoa and falepili in practice is the country’s ongoing recognition of Taiwan. As Beijing dangles ever more compelling carrots before South Pacific governments, Tuvalu has remained one of Taiwan’s staunchest allies.

But while Tuvalu exudes loyalty and friendship, it also expects it in return. This includes being treated seriously and not paternalistically. It includes being able to articulate its agency.

This does not mean political considerations are irrelevant. The politics of Tuvalu and other small island states are inherently capricious given their small, non-partisan legislatures.

In 2004, for instance, then prime minister Saufatu Sopo’anga travelled to Beijing without the approval of his parliamentary colleagues at a time when ties with Taiwan hung by a thread. Once Sopo’anga was ousted, relations soon improved.

Tuvalu and other Pacific countries are also attuned to the evolving international landscape. The South Pacific is emerging into a geopolitical hotspot as China and Australia tussle for influence, and as the US and others join the fray. Australia will be glad it exercises a veto over future security deals.

Such patterns of competition, including chequebook diplomacy, can be easily exploited by Pacific governments intent on extracting as much gain as possible. Playing both sides can yield substantial national, political, and personal benefit.

In this case, Funafuti has firmly hedged its bets with Australia and the West. But it has gained much in return.

In Tuvalu, climate change is an existential concern for a nation in which the highest elevation is just four metres. Australia’s promises to accelerate the nation’s adaptation to climate change will have influenced much of Funafuti’s thinking in pursuing the agreement.

In the end, the Falepili pact amounts to a serious Australian commitment to its neighbours. Even if both sides stand to gain from the deal, it is an expression of friendship.

But it is also just the beginning. Canberra needs to continue in this direction as it looks to replicate this success with other countries. Anything less amounts to a Pacific pirouette – prioritising diplomatic flourishes over developing deeply rooted ties.

It is time for Australia to be true to the values of taugasoa.

Marcus Ray is a London-based Australian student who also works part-time in the UK House of Commons. While studying at Harvard, he wrote a thesis on Tuvaluan foreign policy.

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