The Pacific has been a magnet for high-level diplomatic visits in recent times.
Last week alone saw visits by the French President and both the US secretaries for state and defence.
Emmanuel Macron swept through the Pacific visiting New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.
Senior Research Fellow at Griffith University Dr Tess Newton Cain said France was showing itself again in the region.
“I think, it’s a demonstration of how France sees itself as a Pacific presence and a Pacific power beyond simply being the administrator of its territories that it still holds,” she said.
“It’s also a part of how we are seeing a part of a reset of France’s relations in the region that ties in with all sorts of things, including the upset of AUKUS and how France maintains its position.”
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken came to New Zealand after opening the new US embassy in Tonga on Wednesday.
Source : ABC
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