Australia signs the Vuvale Union, a mutual defense pact with Fiji that commits both governments to consult and respond collectively to security threats and to allow other Pacific states to join.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka sign the treaty in Suva, building on intelligence sharing and joint drug-enforcement efforts and mirroring recent agreements with Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Nauru.The pact is central to Australia’s strategy to counter Chinese Communist Party influence through diplomatic engagement and about $2.2B in regional investments, a push that draws criticism from
Pauline Hanson while some Pacific leaders continue to balance ties with China and Australia.