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If we look at a world map, the Pacific Ocean can seem like one enormous stretch of blue. The countries scattered across it are easy to overlook, but the region is becoming increasingly important in global affairs.
Australia, China, the United States and New Zealand are all trying to build stronger relationships across the Pacific, creating a growing competition for influence.
This edition will focus mainly on Australia and China, but before getting into that, it helps to first understand the Pacific itself: where it is, who lives there and why it matters.
What is the Pacific?
Illustration: The Western Brief
The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on Earth. It stretches from Asia and Australia in the west all the way across to North and South America in the east.
Scattered throughout this enormous area are many island countries and territories. Some are relatively well known, such as Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga, while others, such as Kiribati, Tuvalu, Palau and the Marshall Islands, are much smaller and often receive less international attention.
These countries are often grouped into three broad parts of the Pacific: Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. You do not need to remember all of these names, but they help show just how spread out the region is. Some Pacific countries are separated from each other by thousands of kilometres of ocean.
This is important because when we talk about ‘the Pacific’, we are not talking about one country or one political group. We are talking about a huge region made up of many different countries, cultures, governments and interests.
For Australia, this region is especially important because many of these countries are part of our immediate neighbourhood. But before we get to Australia’s role, it helps to understand why these small island nations can matter so much on the global stage.
Why Does the Pacific Matter?
At first glance, many Pacific countries can seem too small or too far away to have much influence on global affairs. But size is only part of the story.
The Pacific sits between some of the world’s biggest economies and most important trading routes. Ships carrying fuel, food, manufactured goods and raw materials regularly move across the region, connecting Asia, Australia and the Americas. That makes the Pacific important not only for trade, but also for the movement of military vessels, aircraft and other important supplies.
Many Pacific countries also control enormous areas of ocean around their islands. Collectively, their exclusive economic zones span more than 30 million square kilometres, covering roughly 10% of the world’s oceans. These waters can contain valuable fishing grounds, natural resources and important sea routes, which gives even very small countries influence over a much larger area than their land size might suggest.
Put all of that together and the picture becomes clearer. The Pacific may contain some of the world’s smallest nations, but the region itself is huge, strategically located and increasingly valuable.
Australia’s Neighbours
Australia’s relationship with the Pacific is long standing. Pacific island countries are among our closest neighbours, and Australia has spent decades building ties with them through aid, trade, education, migration, defence, sport and disaster response.
Australia is the Pacific’s largest development partner. In 2026-27, the Australian Government plans to provide a record $2.2 billion in development assistance to the Pacific, supporting things like infrastructure, health, education, climate resilience and economic development.
There are also newer programs designed to bring Australia and the Pacific even closer together. The Pacific Engagement Visa, for example, gives people from participating Pacific countries the opportunity to move permanently to Australia for work and life here.
All of this helps explain why Australia has traditionally been one of the most influential outside partners in the Pacific. The relationship is built on geography, history and decades of interaction between governments, businesses, communities and families.
But Australia is no longer the only major country trying to build stronger relationships across the region. China has become a much bigger part of the story.
China Moves In
Illustration: The Western Brief
China’s role in the Pacific has grown steadily over the past two decades. It has funded roads, government buildings and other infrastructure, while also expanding trade, diplomatic ties and security cooperation with Pacific governments.
Since 2008, China has provided around US$5 billion in development finance across the Pacific. That is a significant amount for a region made up largely of small island countries, and it shows how seriously China now takes its relationships there.
One of the clearest signs of China’s growing role came in 2022, when Solomon Islands signed a security agreement with China. The agreement allows for Chinese police and other security personnel to be deployed to the Solomon Islands at the government’s request, and for Chinese ships to visit and use local facilities. That attracted attention in Australia because it showed that China’s presence in the Pacific was moving beyond trade and infrastructure into security as well.
This does not mean Pacific countries are simply choosing between Australia and China. Many are building relationships with both, as well as with the United States, New Zealand, Japan and others. Having several countries interested in working with them can give Pacific governments more options when seeking investment, trade opportunities or security support.
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So What Does This Mean?
The Pacific may look like a huge stretch of ocean dotted with small island countries, but it is becoming increasingly important in global affairs. Its location, sea routes, resources and political relationships give the region far more influence than its size might suggest.
For Australia, that makes the Pacific especially important because it is part of our immediate neighbourhood. China’s growing role has added more competition for influence, trust and stronger relationships across the region.
That competition was one of the main things I wanted to show in this edition. Countries do not only compete through conflict. They can also compete through aid, trade, infrastructure, security agreements and the relationships they build in important regions like the Pacific. The Pacific is one of the clearest places where that is happening right now.
When you heard 'the Pacific,' what came to mind first?
The Number
A figure that speaks for itself.
98% Ocean. 2% Land.
Source: Pacific Community (SPC)
From the History Books
Between 1946 and 1958, the United States carried out 67 nuclear weapons tests in the Marshall Islands. The most powerful was ‘Castle Bravo’ in 1954, which was the largest nuclear test ever conducted by the United States. Its explosion was far more powerful than expected and spread radioactive fallout across nearby islands, forcing communities to relocate and leaving health and environmental impacts that lasted for generations. It is a confronting part of Pacific history.
One Last Thing
This was probably my favourite edition to put together so far because I’ve always loved geography. My wife recently bought me a large world map, and I’ve found myself getting lost in it, looking at places, borders and regions I had never really thought about before. This edition is slightly longer than the first two, but I felt there was simply too much worth learning about the Pacific to rush through it. As always, thank you for the support. I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed putting it together.
I’m Mahir, a Perth based Master of International Law and Master of International Relations student. I created The Western Brief to explain global affairs clearly and explore what they mean for Australia.
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