Australia uses ‘rugby diplomacy’ to counter China | Market wire

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Australia has struck a “rugby diplomacy” deal with Papua New Guinea to attempt to curb China’s mounting affect, agreeing to bankroll the Pacific nation’s ambitions within the sport whereas cementing a bilateral security pact.

Australia mentioned on Thursday that it will invest A$600mn ($385mn) over 10 years to set up a rugby league workforce in Papua New Guinea, the place the game is massively in style, to compete within the Australian league by 2028.

Anthony Albanese, Australia’s prime minister, and counterpart James Marape of Papua New Guinea introduced the settlement on Thursday and likewise mentioned a bilateral security pact signed by the 2 nations final yr had come into power.

The security deal makes clear that Australia is the primary supplier of security providers, corresponding to police and soldier secondments and coaching, for Papua New Guinea, its closest neighbour, which had additionally held talks with China over the previous yr over security preparations.

The Papua New Guinea deal, which security analysts mentioned had echoes of US-China “ping pong diplomacy” during the cold conflict, comes as Australia has appeared for methods to counter China’s growing strategic and diplomatic affect within the Indo-Pacific.

Australia has in-built a clause that might imply funding for the rugby league workforce and its place within the national competitors might be pulled if Papua New Guinea strikes a security settlement with China that undermines the “strategic trust” between the 2 nations, in response to a individual with direct data of the settlement.

The Australian authorities didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

Marape mentioned the rugby deal wouldn’t stop Papua New Guinea from having relationships with different nations in Asia and described China as a “great trading partner”.

Mihai Sora, a former diplomat and director of the Lowy Institute’s Pacific Islands Program, mentioned the deal was doubtless to provide Australia leverage to probably “box out” China from future security offers in Papua New Guinea. “This is a marriage of soft power and hard power,” he mentioned.

Sora added that a menace to drag funds if Papua New Guinea struck a deal with China was “realistic” given the financial dedication being made by the Australian taxpayer.

Australia additionally struck a A$140mn financial and security deal with Nauru this week that included an settlement to seek the advice of over any “third-party” engagement within the Pacific nation’s security, telecoms or banking infrastructure. It signed a comparable deal with Tuvalu this yr. 

Albanese’s authorities recognized the “soft power” appeal of rugby league — a recreation whose energy base is within the north of England and northern Australian states however is in style within the Pacific — when he travelled to Fiji in 2022 and floated the thought of internet hosting Australian video games throughout the area.

Marape mentioned rugby league was his nation’s undisputed national sport and that having a workforce within the Nationwide Rugby League would have important cultural and financial advantages, together with encouraging college students to benefit from sporting development programmes.