In the Pacific, Aid Should Be About More than Competition with China

Outside powers often treat aid as an easy geopolitical win in the Pacific. However, Papua New Guinea's (PNG) Minister for National Planning Sir Ano Pala's recent public critique of Australian aid at Australia's latest development plan launch in PNG punctured this perception. Pala's statement should serve as a reminder that Pacific Island countries won't be bought with aid packages in the tussle for geopolitical influence in the region, particularly those that do not align with Pacific priorities or build local capacities.

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